Supplement Label Lies
Four phrases that may be leading you astray.
Supplement companies are exceptionally good at saying things designed to mislead. To stand out, they use claims that appear to add legitimacy. The sad reality is that you’re about to be ripped off if any of these are on the label. Look for these phrases.
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Third-Party Tested.
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Contains clinically tested ingredients.
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Pharmaceutical Grade.
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Manufactured or tested at a USDA-approved or FDA-approved facility.
“Third-Party Tested”
That makes it seem like a room full of scientists in white lab coats have carefully analyzed everything in that bottle. In fact, if a vitamin or supplement company has spent the money to have their product independently tested, they will proudly proclaim WHO did the testing. And there’s the catch.
There are NO testing requirements for supplements before being sold to the public. If you want assurances the product is genuine, there are three organizations that you can trust. If you see their seal on something, at least you know what’s on the label, is in the bottle. Those certifications provide no guarantee the product will do what it claims, but you should be getting what you’re paying for.
Those independent testing organizations are NSF (nsf.org), USP (quality-supplements.org) and Consumerlab (consumerlab.com). Fraud is so rampant in the supplement industry that I won’t purchase any product without one of those logos.
“Clinically Tested Ingredients”
That sounds like they’ve only included what works. Not so fast. You’ll see that phrase because it doesn’t tell you what those clinical tests revealed.
For example, a supplement company could fill their product with sugar because sugar has been tested in thousands of clinical trials. That doesn’t mean sugar will help you with whatever you’re buying that supplement for. Unless the ingredients have been clinically tested and been shown effective in helping with the condition on the label, it’s empty marketing hype.
“Pharmaceutical Grade”
This is a way to jack up the price without doing anything. Over the last 20 years, hundreds of articles have been written about how supplement companies pack their pills and powders with cheap filler instead of what’s listed on the label. To try and appear more legitimate, they’ll claim all their ingredients are “pharmaceutical grade.”
If you’re talking about prescription pharmaceuticals, it’s a thing. The FDA requires a series of controlled clinical trials and stringent approval processes to show that drugs are safe and effective. The sources of the ingredients that go into those products are also regulated.
But supplements? Nope, no legal definition of “pharmaceutical grade” applies by any government agency for supplements. Seeing pharmaceutical grade on a supplement box or bottle means nothing. Because supplement companies know this, they’re likely trying to mislead you if you see it on their label.
“Registered with the FDA” or “USDA Approved Facility”
These are phrases that have fooled millions of people into believing that somehow the product is tested, works, and it’s safe. In fact, they mean nothing like that at all.
The bioterrorism act of 2002 requires companies that intend to sell food to be “inspected on a cyclical basis to determine compliance.” The FDA even released a statement to clear the issue up that says (in part):
We do not approve or certify food products or firms. We do not have a list of “approved” facilities because they do not require approval. There is no such thing as a list for “approved facilities” or “registered OTC dietary supplements.”
That statement was from Ms. Jeannine Ertter, the Senior Public Affairs Specialist with the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition within the FDA.
Registered with the FDA is nothing more than a letter from the supplement company notifying the FDA they intend to sell food. It does NOT mean they are a reputable company or that their product is in any way safe or effective.
Regular readers of my column know that supplements are NOT tested like drugs. When a supplement company releases a new product, no government agency checks to make sure it works first. Dosages are not verified. Ingredients are not confirmed. Claims on the label are left entirely up to the supplement company. If you see any of THESE claims on your supplement label, put it back on the store shelf or toss it in the trash.
Reference Links:
Clinically studied or clinically proven? Memory for claims in print advertisements
Dillon H. Murphy, Shawn T. Schwartz, Kylie O. Alberts, Alexander L. M. Siegel, Brandon J. Carone, Alan D. Castel, Aimee Drolet
Applied Cognitive Psychology, Published 13 July 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.4106
Positive Mood and Susceptibility to False Advertising
Kathryn A. LaTour and Michael S. LaTour
Journal of Advertising, Published (Fall, 2009), pp. 127-142 (16 pages)
Make my memory: How advertising can change our memories of the past
Kathryn A. Braun, Rhiannon Ellis, Elizabeth F. Loftus
Psychology & Marketing, Published 16 November 2001 https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.1000
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6/14/2022
Updated 8/24/24
