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NSF International and Austrian Ski Federation Work Together to Minimise Inadvertent Doping Risks

May 14, 2018

Leading winter sports organisation uses NSF International testing services to help its athletes avoid supplement products containing substances banned in sport

ANN ARBOR, Mich., U.S. and RHEDA-WIEDENBRÜCK, Germany — NSF International, a global public health and safety organisation, is collaborating with the Austrian Ski Federation to strengthen the federation‘s already rigorous doping prevention program.

NSF International will test sports supplements used by Austrian Ski Federation athletes to help eliminate the risk of inadvertent doping due to products being contaminated with substances banned in sport.

Supplement brands providing products to the federation’s athletes are required to submit batch samples to NSF International’s laboratory in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany to be screened for approximately 260 substances banned in sport. As part of the agreement and at the request of the athlete, NSF International is also testing supplements used by champion skier Marcel Hirscher, the seven-time FIS World Cup winner and double Olympic gold medallist.

“My job is to make sure that all athletes of the Austrian Ski Federation can entirely focus on the sport and use their energy to deliver their best performances at major ski competitions. Our program creates a high level of safety and trust for our athletes when taking their preferred sports nutrition supplements,” said Dr. Wolfgang Schobersberger, anti-doping advisor to the Austrian Ski Federation and head of sports medicine at Tirol Kliniken Innsbruck.

“When we learned that NSF International tests supplements for approximately 260 substances banned in sport at its German laboratory, we knew that this level of protection was exactly what we needed in order to strengthen our doping prevention program and to minimise the risk of inadvertent doping from supplements.”

NSF International’s European laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited to test supplements for banned substances from the prohibited lists managed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and major sports organisations in the United States.

In addition to banned substance testing, NSF International also operates the Certified for Sport® supplement certification program. To meet the rigorous requirements of the Certified for Sport® program, products are independently tested for banned substances as well as potentially harmful levels of other contaminants, such as lead, arsenic and cadmium. Certified for Sport® certification also includes reviews of label claims, product formulation and toxicology, as well as ongoing facility audits.

“The Austrian Ski Federation is one of the most successful winter sports organisations in the world,” said Martin Krainz, Business Development Manager at NSF International. “By testing for banned substances, the federation is demonstrating its deep commitment to its athletes and doping prevention.”

Learn more about NSF International’s banned substance testing at www.nsfsport.com or contact Martin Krainz at +49 151 623 71724 or mkrainz@nsf.org.

For media inquiries in Europe, please contact Heather Taylor at media@nsf.org or +32 478 262192.

For media inquiries in North America, please contact Thomas Frey at media@nsf.org or +1 734 214 6242.

The Austrian Ski Federation organises the most popular winter sports in Austria, including Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping and biathlon. It covers the entire range of skill levels from leisure sports to high performance ski or snowboard racing. Awarded the “Best Alpine Ski Nation” at the FIS World Cup for the last 28 years, the Austrian Ski Federation is one of the most successful winter sports federations in the world. The Federation is a trusted brand with athletes, other sports organisations and businesses worldwide. Its members include hundreds of thousands of winter sports enthusiasts in Austria and beyond.

NSF International is an independent, global organisation that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimise adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF 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.

NSF wrote the only American National Standard (NSF/ANSI 173) that verifies the health and safety of dietary supplements and also tests and certifies products to this standard. In North America, NSF’s Certified for Sport® program is required or recommended by Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Football League, PGA, LPGA and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).