Bottled, boxed, or individually-wrapped food supplements and vitamins are another product category the Master Tape Printers has the solution for. Let consumers know that your product will put the pep in their step by letting Master Tape print your labels.
What is a dietary supplement?
The FDA defines dietary supplements as non-tobacco products that contain on or more of the following ingredients that are intended to supplement the diet:
- A mineral
- A vitamin
- An herb or other botanical
- An amino acid
- A concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or a combination of any ingredient mentioned above
Dietary supplements are not to be represented to be used as a conventional food or as a lone item for a meal or in a diet and are to be labeled as dietary supplements.
What is required on a dietary supplement labeling?
Five statements are required to be on the containers and packages of dietary supplements.
- A Statement of Identity
- A net quantity of contents statement
- The nutrition labeling
- The ingredient list
- The name and place of business of the packer, distributor, and manufacturer
The statement of identity and net quantity of contents statements must be displayed on the principal display panel (Side of package or container that will face customers on a retail shelf).
All other required statements must be placed on the information panel (panel immediately to the right of the principal display panel).
Statement definitions
A statement of Identity is the name of the dietary supplement.
The net quantity of contents statement defines the amount of dietary supplement in the package or container and is usually expressed in quantity of capsules/pills, and grams.
The nutrition labeling for dietary supplements are referred to as Supplement Facts labels and include all dietary ingredients with and without recommended daily intake (RDIs) or daily-recommended values (DRVS).
The ingredients list must list all ingredients that are present in the dietary supplement.
Supplements facts label
The supplement facts label needs to include the quantities and names of all present dietary ingredients in your product, the servings per container, and the serving size. The serving size is the maximum recommended serving amount of the product. For example, a product with directions to take 1-3 with every meal has a serving size of 3.
Required nutrients for the supplements fact panel
A supplements facts panel is required to list the following ingredients when they are presenting a measureable amount as specified by 21 CFR 101.9 (c).
| · Total carbohydrates | · Dietary fiber |
| · Calories from fat | · Sugars |
| · Total fat | · Protein |
| · Saturated fat | · Vitamin A |
| · Cholesterol | · Vitamin C |
| · Sodium | · Calcium |
| · Total calories | · Iron |
Other Considerations for Dietary Supplement Labeling
Besides what has been mentioned on this page, there is a host of other decisions and considerations to make when labeling your dietary supplements. You may want to include an expiration date if there is solid evidence to back it up, a UPC code, product claims, and a warning statement. There are also many recommendations about dietary supplement labeling from the FDA here that you may find useful.
No matter which of these conditions or considerations are present, the customer, retailer, and manufacturer will need to know that the label will stay affixed, the UPC code scans properly, and the SUPPLEMENT FACTS LABEL will carry all of the required information.
Master Tape Printers can meet any of your vitamin and dietary supplement labeling needs and ensure that they communicate effectively, and adhere to the product.
Considerations and Conditions for Dietary Supplement Labeling
Dietary supplement labels have to adhere securely under different and often challenging conditions. They must stick to plastic, glass, or other materials, which may be wet, frozen, refrigerated, or subject to high heat environments. Handling, product material, temperature conditions, humidity, and product shape affect performance. Some important considerations for these labels are:
- The temperature the product will be stored at: Will it be refrigerated, room temperature, or frozen? Will there be moisture in the environment? Specialized labels with different adhesives are used for refrigerated and frozen items.
- The material of the product: Will it be going on flexible foil packaging, glass or plastic? Different types of adhesives are used to effectively attach a label to different types of materials.
- Shape of product: Labels that wrap around package corners may require a different adhesive and a flexible base material compared to labels that only attach to one side of a product.
- Placement of labels on the packaging:The location labeling on a product can be extremely important. Not only should the label be easily scan able, should it include a UPC code, and uncovered by product flaps, but the label should also be in a location that is not prone to tearing, wear, or scrunching.
Resealable foldout or booklet labels
Resealable foldout or booklet labels are great for supplements or vitamin labels requiring a lot of text on a package that cannot fit a regular single ply label. Booklet labels can also be used to hold instant redeemable coupons which could increase the likelihood of customers trying your product for the first time.
By affixing a booklet label to your supplement or vitamin packaging, you gain the ability to add the following:
- Additional product information
- Multi-lingual text
- Detailed instructions
- Recipes and cooking instructions
- Detailed nutrition and supplement information
- Regulatory information
- Warranty Information
- Warnings and disclaimers
- Mail-in rebates and coupons
- Product promotions
By going with a booklet label for your supplement or vitamin, you have the ability to save money by using the same packaging regardless of the market with a multilingual label. Instead of creating an insert for your product, possibly requiring further packaging, you could simply include the same information directly on the product.
Contact us if you would like to know anything else about dietary supplement labeling and to find out what type of label would be best suited for your needs.
