How to Read a Food Supplement Label in Ireland
A practical guide to what Irish law requires on a food supplement label, and how to tell a lawful health claim from a marketing phrase.
A food supplement label is not marketing. It is a legal document, and Irish and EU law dictates most of what must appear on it. Once you know which elements are compulsory and which are optional persuasion, the panel becomes easy to read and easy to compare across brands. This guide walks through both.
Key takeaways
- A supplement must be sold under the name "Food Supplement" and carry five mandatory statements, including a warning not to exceed the stated recommended daily dose.
- Amounts must be declared numerically per the portion recommended for daily consumption, not per capsule or per 100 g.
- Vitamins and minerals must also show a percentage of the nutrient reference value (% NRV), which is what makes products comparable.
- An authorised health claim names a specific nutrient and links it to a specific effect. A marketing phrase names neither.
- Supplements must be notified to the FSAI before being placed on the Irish market. Notification is a legal requirement, not an approval.
On this page
The two rulebooks behind the label
Two sets of rules govern the pack. The first is specific to supplements: EU Directive 2002/46/EC, transposed into Irish law as the European Communities (Food Supplements) Regulations 2007, S.I. No. 506 of 2007, since amended. The FSAI explains its practical effect in Guidance Note 21, the single most useful document for a curious consumer. The second is general food law: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, which governs nutrition information and reference intakes, and Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, which controls nutrition and health claims.
The definition matters too. A food supplement is legally a foodstuff whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet, supplying concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, marketed in dose form such as capsules or tablets. It is a food, not a medicine, and that classification determines everything else.
The mandatory elements
Guidance Note 21 sets out the particulars that are a legal requirement on every food supplement label sold in Ireland. Reproduced faithfully, the label must:
- Sell the product under the name "Food Supplement". Not optional wording, and not a marketing category.
- Give the names of the categories of nutrients or substances that characterise the product, or the nature of those substances.
- State the portion of the product recommended for daily consumption.
- Carry a warning not to exceed the stated recommended daily dose.
- Carry a statement that food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied diet.
- Carry a statement that the products should be stored out of the reach of young children.
- Declare the amount of nutrients or substances with a nutritional or physiological effect in numerical form, per portion recommended for daily consumption.
- Express vitamins and minerals as a percentage of the reference values in nutrition labelling legislation.
General food labelling rules apply on top: a legible ingredients list in descending order of weight, allergen emphasis, net quantity, a durability date, batch identification, storage conditions where relevant, and the name and address of the responsible food business operator. If any of the five mandatory statements is missing, the label is non-compliant, and that is a test you can apply in a shop in about ten seconds.
Amounts, portions and % NRV
Per portion, not per capsule. The legal basis for declaration is the portion recommended for daily consumption. If a product recommends two capsules a day, the meaningful figure is what two capsules deliver, so a label emphasising a large per-capsule number while burying the portion size is unhelpful at best. Ordinary foods declare nutrition per 100 g or 100 ml, while supplements declare per daily portion, so do not compare the two without noticing the change of basis.
% NRV is the comparison tool. Nutrient reference values are single EU-wide benchmarks used purely for labelling. Chromium's NRV is 40 µg, iron's is 14 mg, zinc's is 10 mg, so 20 µg of chromium shows as 50% NRV. Because every brand uses the same denominator, % NRV is the only figure that lets you compare products honestly.
One limit: NRVs exist only for vitamins and minerals. Botanicals, amino acids and other substances have none, so they are declared as a weight alone, which has to be read alongside any standardisation figure. Our guide to extract percentages and standardisation works through that arithmetic.
| Figure on the label | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Amount per capsule | The content of one unit | Your daily intake, unless the portion is one capsule |
| Amount per daily portion | The legal basis, and your actual daily intake | How long the pack lasts, until you divide |
| % NRV | How the amount compares to the EU benchmark | A personal requirement or a target |
| Extract weight in mg | How much extract you take | Constituent content, without a standardisation figure |
| Standardisation percentage | The proportion of a named constituent | Any quantity, without the extract weight |
A worked example: 60 capsules at a recommended portion of two daily is a 30-day supply. That single division is the most useful sum on the pack, because it converts a price into a cost per day.
Authorised claims versus marketing phrases
Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a health claim may only be made if it is authorised and entered on the EU Register of nutrition and health claims. The register also lists claims that were assessed and refused. Anyone can search it, and it settles most arguments in a minute.
An authorised claim has a recognisable shape. It names a specific nutrient, links it to a specific bodily function, and usually contains the word "normal". "Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism" is an authorised claim for chromium, with the effect attributed to chromium rather than to the product. FSAI guidance is explicit that a claim must clearly link the nutrient to the claimed effect. A general phrase about overall wellbeing may only be used alongside a specific authorised claim on the same subject, never as a slogan on its own.
| Wording on the pack | Reading |
|---|---|
| "Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism" | Authorised claim. Nutrient named, function named, "normal" retained. |
| "Contains chromium, which contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels" | Acceptable, because the nutrient stays linked to the effect. |
| "Supports metabolic health" | General, non-specific phrase. Not permitted alone, and no nutrient named. |
| "Our formula contributes to normal blood glucose levels" | Not acceptable. Credits the product, not the nutrient. |
| "Advanced high-strength formula" | Marketing language with no legal meaning. |
| "Helps balance blood sugar" | Not authorised wording. "Balance" is not maintenance of normal levels. |
The practical rule: a phrase that makes you feel something about your health while naming no nutrient and no specific function is persuasion rather than a claim, chosen precisely because it is not on the register.
What a label may never say
Two prohibitions apply to every food supplement without exception. First, the labelling, presentation and advertising must not attribute to the supplement the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease, or refer to such properties. A product presented that way is being presented as a medicine, and medicines are regulated separately under Directive 2001/83/EC, overseen in Ireland by the Health Products Regulatory Authority.
Second, the labelling must not state or imply that a balanced and varied diet cannot provide appropriate quantities of nutrients in general. A brand may not frighten you about ordinary food to sell you a capsule.
FSAI notification
Before a food supplement is placed on the Irish market it must be notified to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The manufacturer is responsible for Irish-made products and the importer for products brought in from elsewhere, and the notification goes through the FSAI's online system with the label attached (FSAI, Food Supplements).
Understand what that does and does not mean. Notification is a legal requirement giving the authorities visibility of what is on sale. It is not an approval, an assessment of efficacy or an endorsement. If a seller describes a product as "FSAI approved", that phrasing is wrong.
The 14-point label check
Work down the pack in this order. It takes about a minute, and it works for any supplement.
- Does the pack carry the words "Food Supplement"?
- Are the characterising nutrients or substances named?
- Is the recommended daily portion stated clearly?
- Is there a warning not to exceed the stated recommended daily dose?
- Is there a statement that supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet?
- Is there a statement to keep the product out of the reach of young children?
- Are amounts declared numerically per recommended daily portion?
- Do vitamins and minerals show a % NRV beside the amount?
- For botanicals, are the plant, plant part, extract weight and any standardisation given?
- Is the ingredients list complete and in descending order of weight, capsule shell included?
- Does any health claim name a nutrient, name a function and retain the word "normal"?
- Is there any suggestion of preventing, treating or curing a disease? If so, walk away.
- Is a named food business operator with a contactable address given?
- Divide capsules per bottle by the daily portion. Does the claimed supply length hold up?
For a berberine product, the two added ingredients worth understanding before you compare brands are covered in our guides to chromium in berberine supplements and black pepper and piperine in supplements, with a wider framework in how to choose a berberine supplement in Ireland. Our own pack states two capsules daily with a meal and water and 60 capsules per bottle; the full ingredient and serving information is on the product page.
Frequently asked questions
Does a supplement have to say "Food Supplement" on it?
Yes. Under the food supplements legislation the product must be sold under the name "Food Supplement". It is a legal name rather than a description a brand may vary, and it signals that the product is a food and not a medicine. A pack without those words somewhere on the label is not compliant with Irish requirements.
What does % NRV mean and should I aim for 100%?
NRV means nutrient reference value, a single EU-wide labelling benchmark that exists so consumers can compare products. It is not a personal recommendation and 100% is not a target. Because every brand divides by the same number, it is the only figure on the panel that lets you compare products fairly.
Is "FSAI notified" the same as "FSAI approved"?
No, and the difference matters. Notification informs the FSAI that a product is being placed on the Irish market, with the label attached, and gives the authorities visibility. It is not an assessment of safety or efficacy and it is not an endorsement. A brand describing a supplement as "FSAI approved" is using language that does not reflect the process.
Can a supplement label say it helps a condition?
No. The labelling, presentation and advertising of a food supplement must not attribute to it the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease, or refer to such properties. A product presented that way is being presented as a medicine, and medicines are regulated separately, overseen in Ireland by the Health Products Regulatory Authority.
How do I compare two products on price properly?
Convert both to a cost per day. Divide capsules per bottle by the recommended daily portion to get days of supply, then divide the price by that number. Sixty capsules taken two a day is 30 days. Only then compare what each daily portion delivers, using amounts per portion and % NRV rather than per-capsule figures.
What if the website says something the label does not?
The physical label is the controlled document and is the source of truth for composition and directions. Website copy is commercial communication, subject to the same claims rules but more often out of date. If a web page and a pack disagree on ingredients, amounts or directions, follow the label and ask the seller to explain the difference.
Sources and further reading
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Guidance Note No. 21: Food Supplements Regulations and Notifications (Revision 2). fsai.ie Accessed 13 August 2026.
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Food Supplements: business advice and notification. fsai.ie Accessed 13 August 2026.
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Food Supplements legislation, including S.I. No. 506 of 2007 as amended. fsai.ie Accessed 13 August 2026.
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Information on Nutrition and Health Claims. fsai.ie Accessed 13 August 2026.
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Nutrition labelling and reference intakes under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. fsai.ie Accessed 13 August 2026.
- European Commission. EU Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods. food.ec.europa.eu Accessed 13 August 2026.