How to Find the Contents of Food Supplements

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act regulates supplement labeling.

The Food and Drug Administration defines food supplements, or dietary supplements, as products taken by mouth that contain ingredients that supplement a person's diet. This includes herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, extracts and metabolites. Supplements are categorized as foods instead of drugs, and do not require FDA-approval. A "Supplement Facts" panel listing all ingredients, the name and address of the manufacturer and a standard disclaimer is required by the FDA.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Inspect the packaging and locate the "Supplement Facts" panel.

2. Read the list of ingredients on the panel.

3. Look for a mark on the packaging that says "USP Verified." If the packaging has this mark, the ingredients have been verified by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention.

Tips & Warnings

• The United States Pharmacopeial Convention tests supplements and verifies their ingredients at the manufacturer's request. If the supplement has a USP Verified mark on the label, its ingredients have been verified and it does not contain harmful levels of contaminants.

References

• Food and Drug Administration: Overview of Dietary Supplements
• American Diabetes Association: Labels and Contents for Dietary Supplements
• National Institutes of Health: Frequently Asked Questions
• United States Pharmacopeial Convention: The USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program
• Help Guide: Dietary Supplements