Supplement label and claim checklist

1. Start with the Supplement Facts panel

Record the serving size, listed dietary ingredients and amounts per serving, then separately note the other ingredients. A product name or front-label phrase is not a substitute for the panel.

2. Identify the kind of claim

Keep the exact wording. FDA distinguishes health claims, nutrient-content claims, and structure/function claims. A statement about supporting a normal body structure or function is not the same as a statement about treating or preventing a disease.

3. Ask what the evidence actually covers

Check whether a cited source concerns the same finished product, ingredient amount, population, duration, and outcome. A study about one ingredient does not automatically establish the same result for a different multi-ingredient product.

4. Read the whole marketing message

Consider the overall impression created by words, images, comparisons, reviews, and qualifications—not one sentence in isolation. A prominent limitation is more useful than a vague or hard-to-find disclaimer.

5. Separate quality signals from outcome claims

A manufacturing or quality-testing mark may describe identity, purity, strength, composition, or contamination testing within its program. It does not by itself establish that a product will work for a particular outcome.

6. Check the transaction before you buy

Read the full price, shipping, renewal, cancellation, return, and contact terms before providing payment information. Keep a copy of the offer and product label for your records.

Source notes

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplements—What You Need to Know
• FDA: Label claims for foods and dietary supplements
• FTC: Health Products Compliance Guidance

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