When designing vitamin labels, consider compliance

Creating colorful and eye-catching custom labels for the vitamin market is easier when manufacturers use a Primera color label printer. However, a number of factors must be considered when printing these labels, not the least of which concerns label compliance.

In fact, a recent report suggests that a number of vitamin makers may have been printing labels with illegal terminology. Released in early October by the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a study of 127 dietary supplements marketed for weight loss or immune system support showed that many supplement manufacturers failed to adhere to federal labeling standards.

The results showed that 20 percent of supplements made claims that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These vitamins claimed to treat or cure a specific disease, which is strictly prohibited by law. Seven percent of the supplements studied lacked a disclaimer required by law, which cautions buyers that the product and its purported health benefits had not been reviewed by the FDA.

Researchers recommended that the FDA take steps to improve its claims notification and enforcement procedures. At the same time, the FDA can only go so far to regulate vitamins, as these products are, under law, considered food and not drugs. Therefore, supplement makers do not need to make their products available for FDA review before selling them.

As a result, it’s up to the individual vitamin manufacturers to ensure the statements they make on their labels are factual and not misleading. Well-designed vitamin labels can be an important part of building trust with consumers, making it vital for supplement makers to take extra caution when designing their labels.