Founded 1968 · Bloomingdale Illinois · Family-Owned, Third Generation · GMP A-Rated
Now Foods
Founded 1968 in Illinois. The American workhorse of clean, affordable supplements.
Shop now →The story
Today the company operates a 263,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution plant in Bloomingdale, Illinois (designed by Elwood's brother Louis), and is still owned and run by the Richard family, now into the third generation. Now Foods earned its NPA GMP certification with an A rating in 2000, holds UL National Brand Certification for dietary supplement manufacturing, and added ISO 22715 cosmetic and SQF natural food certifications in 2017. The combination of scale, multiple in-house labs, and family stewardship is rare in the supplement industry, and it is the reason a Now bottle of B-12 or Vitamin D costs a fraction of comparable clean brands without dropping the testing standards.
Affordable nutrition is not a contradiction. We built our own labs and our own factory so the price on the bottle reflects the contents, not a chain of middlemen.The Richard Family, Now Foods (founded by Elwood Richard, 1968)
What makes them different
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01
In-House Manufacturing
263,000 square feet in Bloomingdale, Illinois. Now Foods runs its own labs, its own production lines, and its own warehouse. Most competitor brands outsource to contract manufacturers; Now controls the chain end to end.
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02
Multi-Layer Testing
Every batch is tested in-house for identity, potency, heavy metals, and microbial contamination. Now Foods also holds NPA GMP A-rated and UL NBCP certifications, both of which require ongoing third-party audits of the manufacturing process.
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03
Family-Owned, Third Generation
Still owned and operated by the Richard family. Elwood's sons launched the international division (HealthCo) in 1991, and the next generation now runs day-to-day operations. No private equity owners pushing margins or short-term cuts.
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Affordable Without Compromise
Vertical integration removes broker and contract-manufacturer markups. That is why a Now Foods Vitamin D-3, Magnesium, or B-12 typically lands at half the price of comparable third-party manufactured brands while passing the same lab tests.
The shelf favourites
The handful we reach for most. Ranked by what actually sells, with the why for each.
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NOW Foods Oregano Oil - 90 Softgels
R485.00
Standardised oregano oil softgels with carvacrol content verified per batch. Used short-term during cold and flu season and for gut microbial balance protocols.
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NOW Foods Vitamin D-3 2000 IU 120 Softgels
R199.00
The bottle that punches above its weight: 120 softgels of 2000IU D3 in olive oil base, at a price most local SA brands cannot match. Four months supply for daily use.
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NOW Foods Quercetin with Bromelain - 120 Veg Capsules
R829.00
The classic seasonal allergy and inflammatory support combo. Bromelain improves quercetin absorption, which is otherwise poor. 120 caps gives a meaningful 60-day course.
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Now Foods Vitamin D3 & K2 120 Capsules
R369.00
D3 paired with K2 (MK-7) for calcium routing, supporting both bone density and cardiovascular health. The combination matters more than D3 alone if you supplement above 2000IU regularly.
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Shop the full Now Foods range below.
All Now Foods products ↓
Now Foods Bee Pollen 500mg 100 Capsules
Now Foods Alpha Lipoic Acid 100mg -60 Capsules
Now Foods Adam Male Multivitamin-90 Veg Capsules
NOW Foods 5HTP 50mg - 30 Veg Capsules
NOW Foods Acetyl-L Carnitine 500 mg - 100 Veg Capsules
Now Foods Nattokinase 100mg-60 veg capsules
Now Foods Stinging Nettle Root Extract 250mg 90 veg caps
NOW Foods Psyllium Husk 500mg - 200 Veg Capsules
Now Foods NAC 600mg
Now Foods Magnesium Citrate 120 Veg Capsules
Now Foods Hyaluronic Acid Double Strength 100mg
Now Foods Horny Goat Weed Extract 750mg-90 tabs
Touring the range
Three doorways into the brand: entry, classic, specialty.
The everyday essentials
If you are new to Now Foods, start with the daily-use staples: Vitamin D-3, B-12, and a Magnesium. These are the products where Now's manufacturing scale gives the biggest price advantage, and they are the foundation of almost any supplement stack.
Targeted formulas
Once the basics are in place, Now's targeted formulas cover immunity (Quercetin with Bromelain), liver (Castor Oil), and gut (Slippery Elm). Each is built around a single, well-studied compound rather than a 20-ingredient kitchen sink.
The premium singles
Royal Jelly, Liquid Chlorophyll, Methyl B-12 lozenges. These are the specialty products where Now's in-house labs really show: harder-to-source ingredients, activated forms, and clean delivery systems at a price point that respects the buyer.
What the brand stands behind
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NPA GMP A-Rated
Natural Products Association Good Manufacturing Practice certification with the highest A rating, audited annually since 2000.
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UL NBCP Certified
Underwriters Laboratories National Brand Certification Program for dietary supplement manufacturing. Now Foods was one of the first companies to earn this.
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In-House Testing Labs
Identity, potency, heavy metals, and microbial testing on every batch. Not outsourced to third-party labs after the fact.
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Family-Owned Since 1968
Still owned and operated by the Richard family, now into the third generation. No private equity owners.
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ISO 22715 Cosmetic
Added in 2017 for the personal care range, covering cosmetic manufacturing standards.
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SQF Natural Food
Safe Quality Food certification for the natural food range, recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative.
About this brand
Common questions customers ask about the brand and its products.