Label decoder
A reading checklist for Supplement Facts and ingredient lists. You bring the bottle. This page does not scan labels, recommend products, or verify a lab.
This tool cannot verify product purity, efficacy, laboratory testing, or supplier quality. A COA, logo, or “tested” claim on a bottle is still a manufacturer claim until you have lot-specific documentation in hand. Absence of a field here is not a finding about a specific product.
| Label cue | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Front-of-package marketing | Separate the claim from the Supplement Facts panel | Marketing is a manufacturer claim until proven |
| Serving size | Capsules/scoops per serving vs servings per bottle | Sticker price hides cost per day |
| Amount per serving | The number next to the nutrient, including units | Compare like units only |
| Active ingredient | Named substance, not a vibe word | “Blend” without amounts is opaque |
| Chemical form | Glycinate, citrate, oxide, etc. | Forms differ in tolerance and elemental yield |
| Elemental amount | Mg of the nutrient, not only compound weight | Oxide vs glycinate are not 1:1 |
| %DV | Reference Daily Value — not your personal target | Do not invent a dose from %DV alone |
| Proprietary blend | Total blend weight vs each ingredient | You cannot verify dose of hidden parts |
| Inactive ingredients | Fillers, flow agents, coatings | Relevant for allergies and form comparison |
| Sweeteners | Sugar, sugar alcohols, high-intensity sweeteners | Especially on gummies |
| Allergens | Declared major allergens and “may contain” | Food rules still apply |
| Certifications | Named program you can look up | A logo is a claim until you check the program |
| Expiration / best-by | Printed date and lot | Needed if you ever request a COA |
| Storage | Heat, humidity, “keep dry” | Forms are not equally stable |
| Manufacturer | Name and place you can actually contact | Private-label bottles may hide the maker |
| Testing claims | Named lab? Lot-specific COA available? | Claims ≠ verification |
| Cost per serving | Bottle price ÷ servings, using the serving you would actually take | This site does not invent current prices |
| Cost per useful amount | Normalize to elemental mg or grams of protein, not “per capsule” | Forms and serving tricks hide this |
| Monthly cost | Daily serving × 30, after you know the real serving | Only if you already decided you need it |
| Structure/function wording | FDA disclaimer present? | U.S. dietary supplements are not generally preapproved like drugs |
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent.