Choosing well
Reading labels: what must be on a food supplement pack
A label is not an advertising text but a mandatory document. If you know what has to be on it, you can compare two products in two minutes – and quickly notice when something is missing.
1. The legal name
The pack must bear the term food supplement (in Germany: Food supplements). This is not a formality: it classifies the product legally as a food, not a medicine. If this statement is missing, something is wrong.
2. The list of ingredients
All ingredients in descending order of weight. This is also where you find the compounds in which a nutrient is present – for example magnesium citrate rather than just "magnesium" – as well as fillers, carriers and the capsule shell. If you want to avoid certain substances, you'll find the answer only here, not on the front of the pack.
3. Nutrient amount and reference value
The amount per recommended daily portion is stated, usually together with the percentage of the nutrient reference values. That is exactly what makes products comparable. Check whether the figure refers to one capsule or two – a tub of 60 capsules only lasts a month at two capsules a day.
4. The recommended daily dose
It is binding and must not be exceeded. This sentence appears on every pack, and it's not an empty phrase: many nutrients have maximum levels, and when you take several products at once, the amounts add up.
5. Warnings and storage
Mandatory statements include, among others, that food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet, and that the product must be stored out of the reach of young children. On top of that come product-specific notes, for example on pregnancy, breastfeeding or taking certain medicines at the same time.
6. Manufacturer or responsible business
The name and address of the business placing the product on the market. If there's nobody listed whom you can contact, that's a warning sign.
What a label must not do
A food supplement must not claim to cure, alleviate or prevent diseases. Only authorised claims about individual nutrients are permitted. Wording such as "Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system" is authorised; a promise that you'll never get ill again is not. If a product makes big healing promises, that says more about the seller than about the product.
Why we write about this in such detail
SteloSupps doesn't manufacture products itself – we select them. Complete information is a condition for being included in our range: if the declaration is incomplete, we don't list the product. You'll find all the details on every product page so you can compare them before you order.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the stated recommended daily dose.
