UK Supplement Label Checklist

Ten practical checks to help you understand what a UK food-supplement label actually declares before you buy.

A supplement label contains several different kinds of information: the suggested daily intake, ingredient quantities, nutritional reference values, warnings and permitted claims. This guide brings the main checks together without treating a larger number or longer ingredient list as automatic proof of a better product.

Download the one-page checklist

Save or print the A4 version and use it while comparing labels.

Download the UK Supplement Label Checklist (PDF)

1. Confirm the product category

Look for the words food supplement. A food supplement is a food product intended to supplement the normal diet. It must not claim to prevent, treat or cure disease.

2. Find the actual daily serving

Check whether the headline amount applies to one capsule, tablet or scoop, or to the full suggested daily intake. A front-of-pack number can be difficult to compare until the serving basis is clear.

3. Read every declared amount

Compare the quantity supplied by the intended daily serving. For a multi-ingredient formula, check whether individual ingredient amounts are shown or whether the label gives only one combined total.

4. Check the ingredient form

Is the ingredient described as a powder, extract, oil, culture or enzyme preparation? If the label provides both a physical ingredient amount and a starting-material equivalent, keep the two figures separate and compare like with like.

Important: a starting-material equivalent describes the amount of original material represented by an extract. It is not necessarily the physical amount contained in the capsule.

5. Use NRV percentages correctly

For vitamins and minerals, the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) helps show how the declared daily amount compares with the reference amount used in food labelling. A higher percentage is not, by itself, a product-quality score.

6. Treat specialist units properly

Some ingredients are more meaningfully described using specialist measures. For live cultures, check the CFU count and the organism identification. For enzymes, activity units are usually more informative than weight alone.

7. Calculate how long the pack lasts

Divide the number of capsules, tablets or servings by the intended daily intake. If the directions provide a range, the pack will also have a duration range. This is the most reliable basis for comparing how often you may need to reorder.

8. Read the complete ingredients list

Check capsule shells, carriers, sweeteners, colours and other ingredients as well as the ingredients highlighted on the front. This is particularly useful when checking dietary preferences and allergens.

9. Check allergens and cautions

Read the warnings, medication cautions, age limits, pregnancy guidance, storage instructions and the statement not to exceed the recommended intake. If you take regular medication or have a health condition, ask an appropriate healthcare professional whether the complete formula is suitable for you.

10. Separate description from health claims

An ingredient can be named and quantified without having an authorised health claim. In Great Britain, health claims used in commercial communications must be authorised and their conditions of use must be met. Check which qualifying nutrient supports any benefit wording on the page or label.

Keep it simple: a longer ingredient list, larger headline number or higher NRV does not automatically make one product more suitable than another. Compare the completed daily serving and choose for your own needs.