Discover what you can learn from reading these handy shortcuts!
It’s fairly common for a male high school athlete to come and see me with a long list of dietary supplements he’s consuming. Somewhere in his description of his training and eating habits he’ll mention that he doesn’t sleep very well. Or his pre-workout gives him weird tingly feelings in his skin. Or it makes him jittery and nauseated. These feelings aren’t normal. While supplements can be safe, they can also be unsafe and it’s important to know how to differentiate between foods and supplements. The Supplement Facts panel can provide a lot of useful information as well as used to hide multiple caffeine sources or banned substances.
What are the differences between Supplement Facts panels and Nutrition Facts panels?
Supplement Facts Panels and Labeling, per The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DHSEA)
What do they contain?
- “Supplement Facts” at the top of the label and the total amount of the supplement in the container
- Ingredient names and amounts, serving size (tablet, soft gel, capsule, teaspoon, packet), and part of the plant (roots, leaves, if relevant)
- Nutrients included, including macronutrients (carbohydrate, sugar, and fiber; fat; protein) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals, with vitamins A and D and calcium and iron required), as well as calories (total calories, calories from fat)
- Daily Values, if the FDA has established one, for any of the above
- Other nutrients not listed above if claims are made about them (insoluble fiber, saturated fat)
- Dried and liquid extracts
- Binders, excipients, and fillers (those capsules don’t just stick together by themselves!)
- Directions for use (amount in one dose, number of doses, timing)
- Proprietary Blends, with total weight of the blend included
Required Statement
“This statement has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”
What does the Supplement Facts Panel not contain?
Proprietary Blend ingredients (this is a great way to hide sketchy ingredients or banned substances!)
Nutrition Facts Panels, per the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and further updated in 2016.2,3,4
Nutrition Facts Panels are part of a larger information panel on the packaging that also includes a list of ingredients and contact information for the manufacturer.
What do they contain?
- “Nutrition Facts” at the top of the label.
- Serving sizes and number of servings/container.
- Calories and macronutrients, including fat (total, saturated, trans fats), cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate (total, fiber, sugars, added sugars), and protein
- Micronutrients, including vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium
- There will also be a full list of ingredients, in order of prominence (highest % of total food first, tiniest amount at the end).
- Optional: additional fats, fibers, sugar alcohols, vitamins, minerals, salts. Nutrients included in fortified ingredients should be included in the ingredient list.
Required Statement
Official footnote: “The % Daily Value (%DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition and diet advice.” It’s basically either the minimum amount or maximum amount of a nutrient to consume any given day.
What do they not contain?
Information about the rest of the vitamins and minerals, and as shown above, many optional macronutrient subtypes.
When is this useful?
Being aware of sketchy products
Many supplements don’t list their full ingredient list – especially if it’s a boatload of caffeine or a selection of banned substances – and prefer to hide them in the “Proprietary Blend.” You can find more information about caffeine at Caffeine Informer.
Buying an energy drink
Energy drinks can be sold as either foods (Nutrition Facts Panel) or supplements (Supplement Facts Panel). Check for alternate ways of adding caffeine and other stimulants. Red Bull has Nutrition Facts; 5 Hour Energy has Supplement Facts.
Buying a sports food
It’s unusual to see foods with Supplement Facts panels, so consider it a red flag.
It pays to review the ingredients and non-disclosed ingredients in the foods and supplements you’re consuming.
If you’ve got questions about reading food labels, feel free to contact Dr. Schubert here. Additional information about supplements and third party testing can be found here, and pre-workouts here. Creatine, mixed greens powders, sports drinks, low sugar sodium sources, magnesium, and iron are also discussed. For a supplement review or to discuss which supplements would be appropriate for you, make an appointment here.
References
- Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide. Food and Drug Administration, April 1, 2005. https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/dietary-supplement-labeling-guide#:~:text=The%20Dietary%20Supplement%20Health%20and,providing%20for%20optional%20labeling%20statements. Accessed January 22, 2025.
- H.R. 3562 – Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. October 24, 1990. https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/house-bill/3562. Accessed January 22, 2025.
- Changes to the Nutrition Facts Panel. March 28, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/changes-nutrition-facts-label. Accessed January 22, 2025.
- A Food Labeling Guide: Guidance for Industry. https://www.fda.gov/media/81606/download?attachment January, 2013. Accessed January 22, 2025.