Introduction
Your label is one of the most important ways that you can interact with your customers. It is the way they will recognise your product in stores and what they will associate with your company. However, there is much more to labels than just having a flashy logo to attract your customers’ attention.
Since labels are so important, there is a large amount of regulation on supplement label compliance. As a retailer it is your responsibility to make sure that your labels meet the requirements.
There is a lot of information that goes on a supplement label so this guide is here to point you in the right direction and give you some points to consider during label design for your supplement. If you are looking for more general information on starting a supplement company, check out our blog on the subject.
Who decides what goes on the label?
The regulating body for supplement labels depends on where you are in the world as different countries have different regulation. Make sure to research who is responsible for regulating supplement labels in your country so that the requirements are accurate. For the sake of this blog we will be working from the HFMA guidelines as they are the regulating body for the United Kingdom.
What information is required on every supplement label for compliance?
There is some information that is required on every supplement label, no matter what the supplement is. These requirements are mandatory so you must be sure to include them on your label. Below are some mandatory requirements:
- Name of the food/supplement
- List of ingredients
- Indication of allergenic ingredients or processing aids
- Date of minimum durability
- Any special storage condition and/or conditions of use
- A clearly marked area of at least 20mm x 10mm for the batch number and expiry date of the contents
This list is not exhaustive. You should carefully study all of the mandatory label requirements for your location to ensure that the label contains them all.
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What information cannot be put on a supplement label for compliance?
While the majority of the legislation for food supplement labels is about information that must be included, there are also some label contents that are not permitted. Primarily this refers to health claims. Your label cannot include any claims about the benefits of products that are not officially accepted.
There should be a full list of the approved health claims in your country on the regulating body’s website that you can look over to make sure that your labels comply. If you cannot find it then contact them and they should be able to provide you with the relevant information.
You need to make sure that there is no text on your label which implies unapproved health claims. This includes paragraphs of information about the company, supplement or even your company name. Be careful with your wording and assess all copy critically to avoid any issues.
How to get your label checked
You will no doubt have taken a look over your labels and done your best to make them fully compliant, but it can be easy to miss things. But where should you go for help with this?
If you work with a manufacturer like G&G then your label can be checked from a mechanical standpoint. This ensures that the label will fit on a tub and the text is large enough to read etc.
However, if you would like to have advice on whether the information is legally compliant then you will need to get in touch with the HFMA or the MHRA as they provide a label checking service. For a small fee, they will look over your label and highlight any issues with compliance that they can find.
Conclusion
Supplement labels can be a complex topic, but there is guidance out there to help you get your label right so that you do not run into compliance problems. Follow the guidance closely and submit your labels to be checked by an official organisation before having them printed.
The best way to stay on top of everything is to ask questions of anything that you don’t understand. Seek out assistance from those in the industry with experience of what is successful, both from a marketing and a compliance perspective.
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