Vitamin labels could be misleading, study finds

Vitamins are becoming the most recent item to fall under scrutiny for inaccurate and or misleading product labels. Specifically, a recent study found that the amount of Vitamin D found in many over the counter supplements do not line up with what the vitamin labels describe.

According to researchers in Oregon, there were potencies as low as 9 percent and as high as 140 percent in the listed doses. While the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the potencies of Vitamin D supplements, the United States Pharmacopeial Convention requires that pills contain 90 to 110 percent of the listed potency.

Dosages of five pills from each bottle studied were averaged, and results showed that only two-thirds met the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention standard.

Dr. Erin LeBlanc, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente in Portland and lead author of the study, explained to The New York Times that it is important to look for the  U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention seal when shopping for vitamins.

“If you have a bottle with the U.S.P. stamp on it, you can feel reassured that what’s listed on the label is actually in the bottle,” she said.

Customers want to know that when they read the labels on their nutritional supplements that all of the information is true. Otherwise, they might choose to no longer conduct business with that particular company. Businesses will be improving their bottom line by creating quality labels that have the correct recommended dosages.

Along with adhering to any federal standards on labeling, companies must ensure that any food, drink or vitamin labels are clear and easy to read. Using a Primera LX900 color label printer can help in making labels for vitamins that are unique and accurate.