Our Editorial Criteria

What Our Comparisons Represent

Our comparison pages present factual, publicly available information about service providers within the same category. They are organized by specific criteria (such as minimum order quantity range or certification status) so that buyers can evaluate options based on their own priorities.

Our assessments and comparisons represent Inventory Ready's editorial opinions based on publicly available information. They are not certifications, audits, endorsements, or guarantees. Like a rating agency's credit opinion, our assessments reflect a structured evaluation process applied to available data. They are opinions informed by evidence, not statements of fact about a manufacturer's operations.

What Our Comparisons Are Not

• •Not rankings. The order of manufacturers on comparison pages reflects the stated organizing criteria (alphabetical, by MOQ, by certification count), not a quality judgment.
• •Not recommendations. We present data. You make the decision. We strongly recommend visiting any facility before signing a manufacturing agreement.
• •Not complete. Our dataset covers 189 manufacturers across 8 categories. Many qualified manufacturers are not yet in our directory.
• •Not static. Manufacturer capabilities, certifications, and operations change. Our listings reflect information available at the time of last review.

Comparison Criteria

Each comparison page states its organizing criteria. We compare manufacturers on factual attributes where data is available:

Inclusion Criteria

Each category is evaluated against criteria appropriate to its regulatory and professional context. Our review considers applicable compliance requirements, verifiable capabilities, and public documentation. The specific criteria vary by service type: a contract manufacturer's regulatory landscape differs from a fulfillment provider's or a testing lab's.

All categories share baseline editorial standards: no unresolved FDA enforcement actions, no known fraud indicators, public documentation exists, and at least one verifiable capability claim.

Category-specific criteria: Different vendor types operate under different regulatory and professional contexts. Contract manufacturers are evaluated against cGMP compliance and FDA facility registration requirements. Testing laboratories are evaluated against ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation scope. Fulfillment providers are evaluated against food safety certifications and FDA registration for dietary supplement holding. Packaging and labeling providers are evaluated against supplement packaging experience and relevant quality certifications. The specific criteria for each category are documented in our internal evaluation frameworks.

Large companies (conglomerate threshold): Companies with total revenue exceeding $5 billion undergo the same editorial criteria as all other vendors, plus a supplement-relevance assessment. To qualify, a large company must have named, branded ingredients or services marketed specifically to dietary supplement manufacturers; an identifiable US market presence serving supplement brands; and supplement-specific trade press coverage or trade event participation. This ensures that our directory remains focused on the dietary supplement supply chain.

Criteria may evolve as our editorial approach develops. We are a small editorial team; our review depth is described honestly, and not every listed company has received identical scrutiny.

Data Sources and Verification

All manufacturer information is sourced from publicly available records. We do not conduct on-site inspections or audits. Each manufacturer listing cites its specific sources so readers can verify our work.

Our primary data sources include: company websites, FDA registration databases, third-party certification directories (NSF International, USP, SQF), industry databases (ThomasNet), state business registries, and manufacturer-provided documentation. We also cross-reference OpenFDA enforcement databases for recalls and warning letters.

When we confirm a third-party certification, we verify that the manufacturer appears in the certifying body's current public directory. This confirms the certification is active as of our review date. This does not constitute an independent assessment of the manufacturer's regulatory compliance. Certification verification and regulatory compliance are evaluated through separate processes in our assessment framework. A confirmed certification reflects the certifying body's listing status; enforcement records, warning letters, and inspection history are reviewed independently through FDA databases.

When information conflicts between sources, we note the discrepancy. When information is unavailable from public sources, we do not speculate or make assumptions.

Assessment Principles

Every manufacturer in our directory is assessed using the same six-gate editorial framework. The gates ensure consistency in how we gather, evaluate, and present information. For a full description of each gate, see our How We Assess page.

• Evidence

  Claims backed by documentation

• Freshness

  Reviewed within the last 12 months

• Provenance

  Sources cited for every claim

• Challenge

  Inconsistencies flagged, not hidden

• Disclosure

  Material connections stated

• Abstention

  Unknown = not published

Editorial Independence

No manufacturer can pay for a better position on comparison pages or for a more favorable assessment. Our comparison comparison method and assessment criteria are the same for every manufacturer, regardless of any commercial relationship. For full details on our revenue model, see How We Get Paid.

How We Work

AI tools assist our research and drafting process. We use AI-assisted analysis to gather publicly available information, cross-reference data sources, and identify inconsistencies. All assessments are reviewed and finalized by Greg Huang, founder of multiple consumer brands in the dietary supplement and nutrition industry since 2009. We disclose AI usage because transparency about process is as important as transparency about data.

Certifications and other claims in manufacturer profiles are confirmed as of the date shown on each profile. Certification status can change after our review. We do not continuously monitor manufacturer credentials. Always confirm current certifications directly with any manufacturer you are evaluating.

More broadly, every element of a company profile reflects information available at the time of our review. This includes trust tier assignment, editorial evaluation, inclusion criteria review, and assessment notes. The “Last reviewed” date on each profile marks when this snapshot was taken. We do not continuously monitor listed companies. Always confirm current status directly with any company you are evaluating before making decisions.

Limitations

• •Our dataset is limited to manufacturers we have assessed. Many qualified manufacturers are not yet in our directory.
• •We rely on publicly available information. Manufacturers may have capabilities, certifications, or issues not reflected in public records.
• •Our assessment is point-in-time. Manufacturers change. Certifications lapse or are earned. Facilities expand or close.
• •We are not a regulatory body. Our assessments do not replace FDA inspection, third-party audits, or your own due diligence.

Manufacturer Participation

Manufacturers not yet in our directory can request a review for inclusion. Listed manufacturers can request corrections, provide additional documentation, or ask to be removed at any time through our Claim or Update a Listing page. Corrections supported by documentation are reviewed and incorporated. Manufacturer participation does not influence assessment outcomes.

Correction Policy

Factual accuracy is the foundation of everything we publish. When we get something wrong, we fix it publicly.

• Report an error. Use our Claim or Update a Listing form, or email us directly. Include the specific information you believe is incorrect and the documentation supporting the correction.
• Investigation. We review reported errors within 7 business days. If the error is confirmed, we update the listing immediately. If the reported information conflicts with our sources, we note the discrepancy on the profile.
• Published corrections. Substantive corrections (incorrect certification status, wrong location, erroneous capability claims) are noted with the date of correction and a brief description of what changed. Minor corrections (typos, formatting) are made without notation.

Editorial Status Tiers

Every vendor listing has an editorial status that reflects the depth of our review. This is separate from the commercial status (whether the manufacturer has opted into any paid features).

Two-Axis Trust Model

Every vendor profile has two independent status indicators. Editorial status reflects our review depth. Commercial status reflects whether the vendor has opted into paid features. These are independent: a paid vendor does not get a better editorial assessment.

A vendor with “Basic” commercial status and “Assessed” editorial status has no commercial relationship with us but has been fully reviewed. A vendor with “Partner” commercial status and “Source-Checked” editorial status has a disclosed commercial relationship but has only been partially reviewed. The editorial assessment is the same regardless of commercial tier.

Trust Tiers

Every vendor listing displays a trust badge that reflects the depth of verification we have completed. Trust tiers are organized into three groups. Each tier adds exactly one verifiable layer of diligence beyond the tier below it.

Trust tiers reflect our verification depth, not a quality judgment. A higher tier means we have completed more verification steps, not that the vendor is “better.” Vendors progress through tiers as additional verification is completed.

Trust badges do not represent endorsements, certifications, or guarantees. They describe the verification steps Inventory Ready has completed. Always conduct your own due diligence before entering into any business relationship.

Sample Assessment Walkthrough

To illustrate how our assessment process works, here is a summary of how we evaluated Gemini Pharmaceuticals, a contract manufacturer in Commack, New York. Gemini has no commercial relationship with Inventory Ready.

This is the same process applied to every manufacturer in our directory. The depth of the assessment varies by editorial status tier, but the framework is consistent.