Some governing organizations prohibit the use of hemp or CBD. Prior to consuming hemp or CBD products, check with your relevant governing organization on their hemp and CBD policy.

In this section

John Travis Named Technical Leader of NSF International’s Certified for Sport® Supplement Certification Program

February 26, 2020

NSF’s Certified for Sport™ program looks to broaden its reach and impact with the appointment of John Travis as the new Technical Leader.

John Travis headshot

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Global public health organization NSF International (NSF) recently appointed John Travis to the position of Technical Leader for the company’s Certified for Sport® dietary supplement certification and banned substance screening program. Travis has been deeply involved in NSF’s sports supplement research and testing programs for more than 25 years.

“As a scientist and technical expert, John will continue to grow our sports supplement program for athletes, coaches and consumers around the world,” said David Trosin, Managing Director of Global Health Sciences Certification at NSF International. “His world-class technical expertise coupled with his passion for the Certified for Sport® program will enable us to broaden our reach and impact.”

Travis led the development of the test methods used in NSF’s Certified for Sport® program, which now screens sports supplement products for 280 banned substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency list. During his career, Travis has actively informed the science of supplement safety worldwide by co-authoring numerous peer-reviewed publications on potentially harmful dietary supplement ingredients and performance-enhancing drugs. Travis’ research has helped NSF identify test methodologies to screen for newly developed performance-enhancing compounds and ensure that certified products contain only the ingredients and quantities as labeled without banned substances or harmful levels of specific contaminants.

“We pride ourselves on helping athletes, dieticians, coaches and consumers make safer decisions when choosing sports supplements,” Trosin said. “We are grateful to John Travis for his critical role in creating and building this program and we are excited for him to lead the Certified for Sport® program into the future.”

In addition to screening products for 280 banned substances, NSF’s Certified for Sport® program requires:

  • Products to be manufactured in a facility that is inspected at least annually to meet the U.S. FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements
  • Supplement products and labels to be tested to verify product formulation and label claims
  • Products to be tested to make sure they contain no harmful levels of specific contaminants
  • The manufacturing process and the product to be regularly audited and tested after initial certification to verify compliance

Products certified under NSF’s Certified for Sport® program must meet additional requirements and are screened for more than 272 athletic banned substances. Many professional and elite sports associations and leagues recommend or require the use of Certified for Sport® products, including MLB, NHL, NFL, PGA, LPGA, CFL and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

NSF’s Certified for Sport® program is the only independent third-party certification program recognized by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. NSF’s Certified for Sport® program is also recognized or recommended by the NFL, NHL, PGA, LPGA, USADA, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the New York City Police Department.

For media inquiries or interviews with John Travis, please contact Thomas Frey, APR at +1 734 214 6242 or media@nsf.org.

NSF International is an independent, global organisation that facilitates the development of standards, and tests and certifies products for the dietary supplements, food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimise adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF International is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With operations in more than 175 countries, NSF International is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.