Supplement Facts Labels

The nutrition label for a dietary supplement is called a “Supplement Facts” panel.

The key differences between the “Supplement Facts” panel and the “Nutrition Facts” panel are as follows:

• For dietary supplements, you must include dietary ingredients without RDIs or DRVs in the “Supplement Facts” panel, while these ingredients cannot be listed in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.
• The source of a dietary ingredient can be listed in the “Supplement Facts” panel for supplements, but it cannot be included in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.
• If a dietary ingredient is listed in the “Supplement Facts” panel, you are not required to state its source in the ingredients list for dietary supplements.
• The part of the plant from which a dietary ingredient is derived must be indicated in the “Supplement Facts” panel, whereas it cannot be mentioned in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.
• “Zero” amounts of nutrients cannot be listed in the “Supplement Facts” panel for supplements, but they must be listed in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.

You are required to include the names and quantities of dietary ingredients in your product, along with the “Serving Size” and “Servings Per Container.” However, the “Servings Per Container” is not necessary if it matches the net quantity of contents. For instance, if the net quantity is 100 tablets and the “Serving Size” is one tablet, the “Servings Per Container” would also be 100 tablets and doesn’t need to be listed separately.

A serving of a dietary supplement is defined as the maximum amount recommended on the label for consumption per eating occasion. If no specific recommendations are given, one unit (such as a tablet, capsule, packet, or teaspoon) counts as a serving. For example, if the label advises taking 1-3 tablets with breakfast, the serving size would be 3.

You must list total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron when they are present in measurable amounts. A measurable amount is anything greater than what can be labelled as “zero” on the nutrition label of conventional foods. If trans fat is present in a measurable amount, it must be listed separately below saturated fat.

Calories from saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, soluble fibre, insoluble fibre, sugar alcohol, and other carbohydrates may be listed but must be listed if any claims are made about them.

Yes, if you make a claim about calories from saturated fat, insoluble fibre, polyunsaturated fat, sugar alcohol, monounsaturated fat, other carbohydrates, or soluble fibre, you are required to list that nutrient.

When included in a dietary supplement, dietary ingredients without established daily values must be listed by their common or usual names. These ingredients should be marked with a symbol in the “% Daily Value” column, which directs to a footnote stating “Daily Value Not Established.”

No, Vitamin E does not need to be listed when it occurs naturally because it is not one of the 14 mandatory dietary ingredients.