The category where influencer economics, proprietary blends, and borrowed science converge most visibly. Brands built on the promise that a single scoop replaces an entire diet — a claim scientists openly contest. The central transparency question isn't whether the ingredients work; it's whether the doses listed are enough to do anything, and whether the people selling them disclosed what they're financially owed when they told you to buy. We traced five brands across the transparency spectrum. The findings are not close.
| Brand | Ownership | Ingredient Disclosure |
Batch COAs |
3rd-Party Certified |
Clinical Evidence |
Influencer Equity |
Price / Serving |
Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Ritual
Essential Daily Greens+
VC-backed (Norwest, Forerunner, Founders Fund) — Founder-led, Certified B Corp
|
VC-Backed |
✓ 100% disclosed |
✓ Certificate of Traceability |
~ USP Verified (multi); Informed Sport (protein) |
✓ University RCT published |
✓ None apparent |
~$1.17 per serving | High Transparency |
|
Formula
Full ingredient + dose disclosure. Every active ingredient's amount, form, supplier name, and country of origin published. Methylated B vitamins (MTHF, not folic acid). USP-verified formulation for Essential for Women. No proprietary blends.
Owner
Ritual Inc. VC-backed (Norwest, Forerunner, Founders Fund). $40.5M+ raised. Founded 2016 by Kat Schneider — still CEO. Certified B Corp since 2022. Lobbies FDA for heavy metals limits in supplements.
Key Gaps
✓ 100% ingredient dose disclosure
✓ Public batch COAs (Certificate of Traceability) ✓ University-led RCT published in peer-reviewed journal ✓ Certified B Corp ○ Not NSF for Sport on multivitamin line ○ VC-backed — watch for formulation drift at scale Key Finding
The category transparency benchmark. Ritual does what every brand in this space should do — discloses every dose, maps every supplier, publishes heavy metal results, and commissions independent clinical research. It sets the standard none of its major competitors currently meet.
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Organifi
Green Juice Powder
Organifi LLC — Drew Canole, co-founder; bootstrapped (no external financing)
|
Bootstrapped |
~ ~35% disclosed |
✓ Published per batch |
~ USDA Organic; Glyphosate-Free; Non-GMO; no NSF |
✗ No independent RCTs on formula |
~ Affiliate-heavy; no investor overlap found |
~$2.67 per serving | Yellow |
|
Formula
11 organic superfoods. Ashwagandha at 600mg (clinical dose, disclosed). Alkaline Greens Blend (5.1g): spirulina, chlorella, matcha, moringa, wheatgrass — individual amounts hidden. Superfood Blend (1.45g): coconut water, beet, turmeric, lemon — amounts hidden.
Owner
Organifi LLC — Co-founded by Drew Canole (YouTuber/FitLife.TV) and Djamel Bettehar. Bootstrapped since 2014; never taken external financing per supply chain partner documentation. Drew Canole returned as CEO in 2023 after a 5-year absence.
Key Gaps
✓ USDA Certified Organic + Glyphosate-Free
✓ Batch COAs published publicly ✓ Bootstrapped — no PE/conglomerate pressure ✗ Alkaline Greens blend: individual doses undisclosed ✗ No NSF Certified for Sport ✗ No independent clinical trials on formula ○ "Detox" marketing language not well-supported by research Key Finding
The best purity story in the category — organic, glyphosate-free, batch COAs public. The transparency gap is ingredient dose disclosure, not contamination. The proprietary blends make it impossible to verify whether spirulina, chlorella, or matcha are present at amounts that would do anything in clinical literature. The ashwagandha is the exception: 600mg, disclosed, clinically meaningful.
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AG1
Daily Greens Powder (formerly Athletic Greens)
VC-backed (Alpha Wave Global + others) — $1.2B valuation; founder departed 2024
|
VC-Backed |
✗ 49 of 75 hidden |
✗ Not public |
✓ NSF Certified for Sport |
✗ Internal studies only (35-person single-arm) |
✗ Huberman, Attia, Ferriss (investor) |
~$3.00 per serving | Red |
|
Formula
75 ingredients, 49 in proprietary blends. NSF Certified for Sport (confirms absence of banned substances and label accuracy — not clinical dose adequacy). Vitamins/minerals mostly disclosed. All adaptogens, superfoods, and probiotics: undisclosed amounts.
Owner
AG1 Inc. VC-backed. Alpha Wave Global led $115M round (2022) at $1.2B valuation. Founder Chris Ashenden resigned July 2024 (NZ Fair Trading Act conviction disclosed). Kat Cole (new CEO) — consumer brand veteran. Tim Ferriss: early investor + endorser.
Key Gaps
✓ NSF Certified for Sport
✗ 49/75 ingredient doses hidden — pixie-dust risk ✗ All clinical studies company-funded (35-person single-arm) ✗ Huberman, Rogan, Attia: sponsor and investor overlap undisclosed ✗ Batch COAs not published ✗ Harvard Medical, McGill researchers publicly criticized scientific rigor Key Finding
The category's most visible structural conflict: financial relationships between the brand and its most authoritative-sounding advocates are not fully disclosed. The NSF cert confirms label accuracy but not dose adequacy — which is the actual question when 49 of 75 ingredient amounts are hidden. The science presented as "peer-reviewed" is almost entirely company-sponsored.
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Bloom
Greens & Superfoods
Nutrabolt majority stake (Sep 2025) — Keurig Dr Pepper → Nutrabolt chain; founders remain
|
Acquired |
✗ 7 proprietary blends |
✗ Not published |
✗ No NSF; third-party org undisclosed |
✗ No clinical trials |
✗ Influencer disclosure inconsistent (#bloompartner) |
~$1.17 per serving | Yellow |
|
Formula
30+ ingredients across 7 proprietary blends. Fiber Blend (1.6g), Green Superfood Blend (~1.5g), Pre/Probiotic Blend, Fruit & Veggie Blend, Antioxidant/Beauty Blend, Digestive Enzyme Blend, Adaptogenic Blend. Zero individual ingredient doses disclosed. CFU count for probiotics not listed. Third-party tested per brand — testing organization not named.
Owner
Nutrabolt (majority, Sep 2025). Nutrabolt first bought 20% stake in Jan 2024 ($90M round). Nutrabolt itself is 30% owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. Ownership chain: Bloom → Nutrabolt → Keurig Dr Pepper (NYSE: KDP). Founders Mari Llewellyn and Greg LaVecchia remain operationally involved.
Key Gaps
✓ Non-GMO, gluten-free, no added sugar
✓ Strong TikTok-driven consumer awareness (viral) ✗ 7 proprietary blends — zero individual doses disclosed ✗ No NSF certification; testing org unnamed ✗ No batch COAs published ✗ No clinical research on formula ✗ Influencer FTC disclosures inconsistent (#bloompartner in caption vs video) ○ Ownership transferred: Keurig Dr Pepper → Nutrabolt → Bloom Key Finding
Bloom built its category position entirely on taste, aesthetics, and influencer reach — not on formula transparency. 7 proprietary blends with zero individual doses means there's no way to evaluate whether the probiotics, adaptogens, or greens hit any threshold supported by research. The influencer marketing engine also runs on inconsistent FTC disclosures. Now majority-owned by Nutrabolt (Keurig Dr Pepper chain).
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Amazing Grass
Green Superfood / Greens Blend
Glanbia Performance Nutrition (acquired Jan 2017) — portfolio: Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Isopure
|
Conglomerate |
✗ 4 proprietary blends |
✗ Not published |
~ Certified organic (CCOF); kosher; no NSF |
✗ No formula clinical trials |
✓ No influencer equity conflicts found |
~$0.90 per serving | Yellow |
|
Formula
25+ ingredients across 4 proprietary blends. Green Food Blend (~5.4g): wheatgrass, barley grass, alfalfa, spinach, spirulina, chlorella. Antioxidant Blend: rosehips, pineapple, carrot, acerola. Fiber Blend: organic flaxseed, apple pectin. Enzyme/Probiotic Blend. Greens grown on third-generation Kansas family farm. CCOF Certified Organic. Gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher. Green tea extract: caffeine level undisclosed. Prop 65 lead warning on Amazon listing.
Owner
Glanbia Performance Nutrition (acquired Jan 6, 2017, ~€181M combined deal). Glanbia is an Irish global nutrition group (Dublin-listed, ~€4B revenue). GPN portfolio includes Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Isopure, thinkThin. Amazing Grass co-founders Todd Habermehl and Brandon Bert bootstrapped the brand for 15 years before the sale.
Key Gaps
✓ CCOF Certified Organic — verified organic sourcing
✓ Family farm origin story with verifiable agricultural heritage ✓ No influencer equity conflicts found ✓ Lowest price in category (~$0.90/serving) ✗ 4 proprietary blends — all ingredient doses hidden ✗ No NSF certification; batch COAs not published ✗ Prop 65 lead warning (CA AG settlement: $213K penalty for heavy metals) ✗ Formula reportedly changed post-2017 Glanbia acquisition ○ Caffeine level from green tea extract not disclosed Key Finding
The category's budget option has a genuine agricultural heritage — 3rd-generation family farm in Kansas, CCOF organic certification — but no mechanism for verifying what happens between farm and formula. A CA attorney general heavy metals settlement and post-acquisition formula changes make that verification gap more significant, not less. Cheapest in category; least verification infrastructure.
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8Greens
Effervescent Tablet / Powder / Gummies
Grove Collaborative (NYSE: GROV) — acquired March 2025
|
Acquired
Grove Collaborative
|
688mg
proprietary greens blend ~86mg avg per green |
✓ Vitamins ✗ Greens undisclosed | ✗ No NSF |
✗ | Cancer origin No paid influencers | ~$2.00/tablet $20 per 10-tablet tube | Yellow |
|
Formula
688mg Proprietary Greens Blend (spinach, kale, aloe vera, wheatgrass, blue green algae, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina) + high-dose vitamins (C: 400mg/444% DV; B6: 3mg/176% DV; B12: 9mcg/375% DV; B5: 15mg/300% DV; Zinc: 6mg/55% DV)
Individual greens doses not disclosed. 688mg ÷ 8 = ~86mg average per green — sub-clinical for most. Vitamins are well-dosed and disclosed. Owner
Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GROV)
Acquired March 2025. Grove is a sustainable consumer products company and Public Benefit Corporation / B Corp. Revenue declined 21.5% in 2024 ($203M full-year). Acquisition is a strategic move to expand Grove's health & wellness category. Dawn Russell remains as consultant. Formula and taste confirmed unchanged post-acquisition. Key Gaps
✗ 688mg total greens blend, no individual ingredient doses
✗ ~86mg average per green — sub-clinical for all 8 ✗ No NSF certification, no batch COAs published ○ Acquired by a financially stressed public company (revenue -21.5% in 2024) ✓ Vitamins disclosed with exact doses; no paid influencers; authentic origin story Key Finding
Format innovation (effervescent tablet, fizzy delivery) is genuinely differentiated. The authentic cancer-survivor origin story and no-paid-influencer policy are rare in the category. But the 688mg greens blend is underdosed for therapeutic effect and individual doses are hidden — the vitamins are doing the heavy lifting, not the greens. Now owned by a struggling public company.
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Every ingredient dose disclosed. Every supplier named and geolocated. Batch COAs published via Certificate of Traceability. University-led RCT published in a peer-reviewed journal. Heavy metal results shared publicly. Certified B Corp. Advocates for FDA regulation of heavy metals in supplements. This is what category transparency looks like — no other major greens brand currently meets this standard.
Mixed Transparency — Purity Yes, Doses NoThe strongest purity story in the category: USDA Certified Organic, Glyphosate Residue-Free, batch COAs published, bootstrapped with no PE pressure. The gap is dose disclosure — the proprietary Alkaline Greens Blend hides individual amounts for spirulina, chlorella, matcha, and moringa, making it impossible to verify whether any of them hit clinical thresholds. The ashwagandha at 600mg stands out precisely because it's disclosed.
Low Transparency — Structural Conflict75 ingredients, 49 undisclosed. The most heavily podcast-sponsored supplement in existence — Andrew Huberman, Joe Rogan, Peter Attia, Tim Ferriss (investor) — with financial relationships between brand and scientific advocates that are partially or incompletely disclosed. All supporting clinical research is company-funded. Harvard Medical School professor and McGill University researcher publicly criticized scientific rigor. NSF Certified for Sport confirms label accuracy, not dose adequacy. Most expensive in category at ~$3/serving.
Mixed Transparency — Viral, OpaqueThe #1 greens brand in the US built its position on TikTok virality and flavor innovation, not formula transparency. Seven proprietary blends with zero individual doses disclosed — no way to evaluate whether probiotics, adaptogens, or greens hit any meaningful threshold. Third-party testing performed, but the testing organization is unnamed. Now majority-owned by Nutrabolt, which is itself 30% owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. The influencer marketing engine runs on FTC disclosures that appear in captions but not always videos.
Mixed Transparency — Heritage Claims, Verification GapA genuine 3rd-generation family farm in Kansas and CCOF organic certification give Amazing Grass a credible agricultural origin story. But four proprietary blends hide all ingredient doses, no batch COAs are published, and a California attorney general settlement for heavy metals ($213K penalty) remains on record. The formula reportedly changed after Glanbia acquired the brand in 2017. Cheapest in the category at ~$0.90/serving — but the least verification infrastructure of any brand traced.
Mixed Transparency — Format Innovation, Dose OpacityGenuine origin story: founder Dawn Russell developed the formula during cancer recovery, worked with an FDA nutrition scientist across 263 prototypes over five years, and publicly rejected paid influencers — a policy rare enough in the category to be worth noting. The effervescent tablet format is a real differentiation. But the 688mg greens blend hides individual ingredient doses for all eight greens (~86mg average each, sub-clinical for most), and the vitamins are doing the functional heavy lifting. Now acquired by Grove Collaborative (NYSE: GROV), a B Corp/PBC — values-aligned but financially stressed (revenue down 21.5% in 2024).
The greens powder category sits at the intersection of two problems that rarely appear together this clearly: ingredient transparency failure and influencer economics failure. In most supplement categories you get one or the other. Here you get both, concentrated in the market leader.
Pixie-dusting — adding a named ingredient at a sub-clinical dose so it appears on the label without delivering any measurable effect — is impossible to detect when doses are hidden inside proprietary blends. The FDA requires that proprietary blend totals be disclosed, but not individual amounts. This loophole is load-bearing for the business model: it allows a brand to list 30 or 75 ingredients and imply that many benefits, while having no obligation to disclose that most of them may be present in amounts too small to matter.
Bloom's architecture makes this legible in miniature: 7 proprietary blends, zero individual doses, a third-party testing claim without naming the organization. The brand's growth happened almost entirely through taste and aesthetics — not through any verifiable claim about formula efficacy. That's a coherent business strategy. It is not a transparency story.
Amazing Grass represents a different category of problem: genuine agricultural heritage (third-generation farm, CCOF organic) with a verification gap that a California heavy metals settlement and a post-acquisition formula change make harder to dismiss. The cheapest option in the category is also the one with the least infrastructure to confirm what it's actually delivering.
8Greens introduces a third pattern: format differentiation and authentic origin story with dose opacity. The effervescent tablet is a genuine innovation. The cancer-survivor backstory and no-paid-influencer policy are genuinely rare. But the greens are underdosed and hidden inside a proprietary blend — the vitamins are what the formula actually delivers. Acquired by Grove Collaborative (NYSE: GROV) in March 2025, a values-aligned Public Benefit Corporation that nonetheless reported a 21.5% revenue decline in 2024 and is navigating real financial pressure.
What makes the greens category particularly acute is that the people most effectively communicating the science of these products — podcast hosts with medical credentials, longevity researchers — have financial relationships with the brands that are often disclosed incompletely or in ways that don't make the conflict visible to the average listener. That's not a fringe concern; it's the documented structure of how the category grew.
Ritual represents what's possible when a company decides to compete on transparency instead of around it. The approach requires more work and investment. It also makes every other claim in the category look worse by comparison.