How to read a food supplement label: dose, form and % NRV

In the EU, a food supplement is a food, not a medicine. What its pack must state is set by EU legislation and, in the Czech Republic, also by Decree No. 58/2018 Coll. on food supplements. The mandatory information is the same for every manufacturer, so you can use it to compare products from different brands.

That is why a food supplement label shows:

• the name “food supplement” and the names of the substances that characterise the product,
• the recommended daily dose and a warning not to exceed it,
• a statement that food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet, and a warning to keep them out of the reach of young children,
• the amount of nutrients and other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect per recommended daily dose,
• the list of ingredients with allergens highlighted if the product contains any, the net quantity, the best-before date, the batch number and the name and address of the business that places the product on the market.

If the product contains vitamins or minerals, the label also states their share of the nutrient reference value (NRV).

The figures in the ingredients table refer to the recommended daily dose. If the daily dose is 2 capsules, the table shows the content of both capsules together. The dose also tells you how many days a pack will last.

Magnesium + B6 has 90 capsules per pack and you take 2 capsules daily, so a pack lasts 45 days. Elements. has 60 capsules at one a day, so it lasts 60 days. From the pack price and the number of days, you can then easily work out what one day costs you.

The table shows the amount of the nutrient itself, not the weight of the compound it is bound in. If a label states 15 mg of zinc as zinc bisglycinate, that means 15 mg of zinc. The bisglycinate itself weighs more, because its weight also includes the amino acid glycine.

In the same way, Magnesium + B6 contains 375 mg of magnesium in 2 capsules, from a mix of magnesium bisglycinate and magnesium oxide. When comparing two products, look for the line with the amount of the nutrient itself per daily dose. A figure next to the name of a compound may look higher, but on its own it says nothing about the nutrient content.

NRV stands for nutrient reference value. For vitamins and minerals it is set by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 in Annex XIII, for example 80 mg for vitamin C, 10 mg for zinc or 375 mg for magnesium. The percentage on the label tells you what share of this value the daily dose of the product covers: 15 mg of zinc is 150% NRV.

The NRV is a guide value for food labelling, not a personal recommendation. For vitamins and minerals, the share of the NRV is stated according to the labelling rules. For some substances no value has been set, for example MSM, L-tyrosine or hyaluronic acid. That is why you will not find a % NRV for them on the label.

The form tells you which compound the nutrient is in: bisglycinate, citrate, oxide, methylcobalamin and so on. For some raw materials the manufacturer also gives a trade name, for example Quatrefolic® for folate or LipoCellTech™ for liposomal blends.

The form helps you compare exactly what is in the capsule. On its own, however, it does not mean a greater effect, and the EU list contains no such claim. We explain the individual forms in detail in the article Mineral forms on the label.

Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, starting with the one the product contains most of. That is why a bulking agent or the capsule shell often comes first, for example microcrystalline cellulose or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Vitamins and minerals measured in milligrams or micrograms weigh less, even though they are the key ingredients of the product.

So the order of ingredients does not tell you how important each substance is. To see how much of each nutrient the product contains, check the ingredients table.

A manufacturer may describe health effects only with claims from the EU list of authorised health claims, which is set out in Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. A claim always relates to a specific nutrient or food, and any other wording must not change its meaning. Naturlabs uses the exact wording from the list, for example: Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. The claim may be used only if its conditions of use are met, which for vitamins and minerals means a significant amount in the daily dose, usually at least 15% NRV.

If you see a general word such as immunity or energy on a pack, the claim stating which nutrient it refers to should be right next to it. A food supplement must not promise to treat or prevent a disease.

Warnings are not a formality. They tell you who the product is not intended for, for example children or pregnant or breastfeeding women unless advised by a doctor, plus any other warnings. The Magnesium + B6 label, for example, states that the product may have a laxative effect.

If you take medication, have a health condition or combine several food supplements, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.