label Claims

How proper Label Claims directly help retain existing customers?

Label Claims in nutraceuticals directly helps in customer retention, labels are provision laid out by food licensing authority (such as FSSAI -(CLICK HERE) and are must for any food manufacturing company to comply with, Accuretely understanding Label Claims schedules help consumers identify true content within the formulations and help maintain recurring flow of customer base.

Consider this example –  If you wear a smart watch that means that you are one of those people who does not prefer a doctor to tell you what is wrong with you on a daily basis, because you wish to keep up with good healthy daily. So the wellness industry has picked up pace in the last decade.

COVID – 19 has made us realize the true importance of being responsible for our own health, consumers wish to live a longer and better life and in order to do the same, companies who define clear label claims on their products help customer make swift purchasing decisions and these are the customers who they take matters in their own hands, nutritional supplement search terms across the world are evidence of the same.

What supplement buying consumers are searching online?

These three terms – Supplements, Wellness and Yoga when they were compared under google trends results from 2019-2022, it is observed that wellness terms has picked up in terms of number of searches since November 2021 and that the term “supplements” have not taken a dip. If anything, people will start understanding wellness and supplement soon enough and that it is only a matter of time before people are their own doctors in terms of keeping themselves well throughout their life.

Consumers in the Indian market who use e-commerce as their buying arena for procuring Nutraceuticals and or Dietary Supplements may not be aware on how to run quality test supplements in their kitchen, but they are very aware of the fact that if they feel and get better after consumption of the said supplement, it is working for them and is of high quality, consumers also have a habit of carefully reading the label accurately.

Customers have the capacity to search the ingredients and even understand what is Active & an Inactive constitution in the capsule they are about to consume, there are numerous reviews available on internet which talk about buyers directly counting the number of capsules in their bottle once they purchase it.

Manufacturers need to be more proficient in managing their ingredient list (with better IT tools and softwares) as one of the primary way to grow as a supplement company is to expand your inventory list and develop novel formulations, companies should avoid making errors when analyzing their nutritional content of the formulas they develop, certain calculation such as dilution, concentrations, cost per unit, batch size, overage, total number of and capsules and their sizes(Click here to know more about how to accurately select Capsules), because that will help get clear message across consumers.

Also recoding these process and organizing such paperwork can be called upon by the respective food authority as per regulation hence companies which do not document on every batch may penalized once such notice is received.

What Label Claims have to be followed as per FSSAI regulations in India?

FSSAI regulates and stipulates provisions to be followed by nutraceutical supplement manufacturers in India, Label claims have to be adhered to strictly, some the aspects that manufacturing companies must cover in their products are as follows:

1. As per FSSAI – The label of nutraceuticals products should mention “Nutraceuticals” Recommended Usage Warning for the risk of excess consumption. Prohibitions on labelling claims must mention for Nutraceuticals Products Cure of disease claims, e.g. “Prevents bone fragility in post menopausal women,” implied cures for disease claims through pictures, vignettes or symbols.
2. The health claims in respect of an article of food shall be commensurate with the adequate level of documentation and valid proof made available for review by the Food Authority when called for.
3. Below are examples on what your LABELS can say depending upon the product you supply and they are:

LABEL CLAIM FOR NUTRACEUTICALS:

(a) the word “NUTRACEUTICAL”;

(b) the common name of the nutraceutical;

(c) a declaration as to the amount of each nutraceutical ingredient in the product that either has a nutritional or physiological effect;

(d) where it is appropriate, the quantity of nutrient shall be expressed in terms of percentage of the relevant recommended daily allowances as specified by the Indian Council of Medical Research even when the nutrient is present along with a nutraceutical as an adjunct and shall bear an advisory warning ‘not to exceed the stated recommended daily usage;

(e) an advisory warning for ‘recommended usage;

(f) an advisory warning ‘NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE’ prominently written;

(g) an advisory warning in cases where a danger may exist with excess consumption;

(h) an advisory warning or any other precautions to be taken while consuming, known side effects, if any, contraindications, and product-drug interactions, as applicable;

(i) a statement that the product is required to be stored out of reach of children;

LABEL CLAIM FOR SPECIAL MEDICAL PURPOSE FOOD:

(a) the words ‘FOOD FOR SPECIAL MEDICAL PURPOSE’ printed in the immediate proximity of the name or brand name of the product;

(b) an advisory warning “RECOMMENDED TO BE USED UNDER MEDICAL ADVICE ONLY” appearing on the label in bold letters in an area separated from other written, printed or graphic information;

(c) the statement “For the dietary management of ________” (with the blank to be filled in with the specific disease, disorder or medical condition for which the product is intended, and for which it has been shown to be effective) supported by appropriate scientific, and clinical or epidemiological data, and subject to its approval by the Food Authority;

(d) a statement ‘NUTRITIONALLY COMPLETE’ if the food is intended to be used as a nutritionally complete food;

(e) a statement on the rationale for use of the product by the target consumer group and a description of the properties or characteristics that make it useful;

(f) a statement if the product has been formulated for a specific age group;

(g) a statement specifying the nutrient which have been reduced, deleted, increased or otherwise modified, relatiing to normal requirements, and the rationale for the reduction, deletion, increase or other modification;

(h) the quantity of nutrients expressed in terms of percentages of the recommended daily allowances, where it is appropriate;

(i) information on osmolality or osmolarity, Renal Solute Load, Potential Renal Solute Load or acid-base balance, wherever applicable;

(j) instructions for appropriate preparation, feeding, use and storage of the product after the opening of the container;

(k) a warning that the product is not for parenteral use; and

(l) a statement that the product required to be stored out of reach of children.

LABEL CLAIM FOR SPECIAL PROBIOTIC FOOD:

(a) the words “PROBIOTIC FOOD”;

(b) genus and species including strain designation or culture collection number, where applicable, in brackets where probiotics are mentioned in the list of ingredients;

(c) viable numbers at the end of the shelf-life of probiotic strain corresponding to the level at which the efficacy is claimed;

(d) the recommended serving size which shall deliver the effective viable dose of probiotics related to health claims and recommended duration of use, proper storage temperature conditions, and time limit for ‘Best Use’ after opening the container;

(e) an advisory warning ‘NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE’ prominently written; and

(f) a warning or any other precaution to be taken while consuming, known side effects, if any, contraindications, and product-drug interactions, as applicable.

LABEL CLAIM FOR HEATH SUPPLEMENTS:

(a) the words “HEALTH SUPPLEMENT”;

(b) the common name of the health supplement, or a description sufficient to indicate the true nature of the health supplement including the common names of the categories of nutrients or substances that characterise the product;

(c) a declaration as to the amount of the nutrients or substances with a nutritional or physiological effect present in the product;

(d) an advisory warning ‘NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE’ prominently written;

(e) the quantity of nutrients, where applicable expressed in terms of percentage of the relevant recommended daily allowances as specified by the Indian Council of Medical Research and bear a warning, “Not to exceed the recommended daily usage”;

(f) a statement that the health supplement is not be used as a substitute for a varied diet;

(g) a warning or any other precautions to be taken while consuming, known side effects, if any, contraindications, and published product or drug interactions, as applicable; and

(h) a statement that the product is required to be stored out of reach of children.

LABEL CLAIM FOR SPECIAL DIETARY USE:

(a) the words “FOOD FOR SPECIAL DIETARY USE” followed by “Food for………” (mentioning the particular physiological or health condition)”;

(b) a statement “For weight control and management” in close proximity to the name of the articles of food specially prepared for weight management and control;

(ba) a statement “FOR SPORTSPERSON ONLY” in close proximity to the name of the articles of food, “Recommended to be used under medical advice by a physician or certified dietician ornutritionist only” and the logo as specified below for the article of food specially prepared for sportsperson.

(c) lactating women or by infants, children, adolescents and elderly, except

 when medically advised;

 – a statement that the product is not to be used by pregnant, nursing and lactating women or by infants, children under 5 years, adolescents and elderly except when medically advised:

Provided that in case of the article of food specially prepared for sportsperson, a statement that the product is not to be used by pregnant, nursing and lactating women or by infants, children under 5 years and elderly.

(d) a statement on the target consumer group, rationale for use of the product and a description of the properties or characteristics that make it useful;

(e) if the product has been formulated for a specific age group, a prominent statement to that effect; – if the product has been formulated for a specific age group, sports activity as per the approved list of Sports Authority of India (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India), a prominent statement to that effect;

(f) a statement specifying the nutrient which is reduced, deleted, increased or otherwise modified, relating to normal requirement, and the rationale for the reduction, deletion, increase or other modification;

(g) an advisory warning ‘NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE’ prominently written;

(h) a warning in cases where a danger may exist with excess consumption;

1. a warning that the product is not for parenteral use; – Provided that a statement ‘for oral consumption only’ for the article of food specially prepared for sportsperson;

(j) a warning or any other precautions to be taken while consuming, known side effects, if any, contraindications, and product-drug interactions, as applicable;

(k) the quantity of nutrients expressed in terms of percentage of the recommended daily allowance where it is appropriate;

(l) information on osmolality or osmolarity or on acid-base balance where appropriate; and

(m) a statement that the product shall be stored out of reach of children.

(n) a statement ‘the food is not a sole source of nutrition and shall be consumed in conjunction with a nutritious diet’ for the article of food specially prepared for sportsperson;

(o) a statement ‘the food shall be used in conjunction with an appropriate physical training or exercise regime’ for the article of food specially prepared for sportsperson.

LABEL CLAIM FOR PROBIOTIC FOOD:

(a) the words “PROBIOTIC FOOD”;

(b) genus and species including strain designation or culture collection number, where applicable, in brackets where probiotics are mentioned in the list of ingredients;

(c) viable numbers at the end of the shelf-life of probiotic strain corresponding to the level at which the efficacy is claimed;

(d) the recommended serving size which shall deliver the effective viable dose of probiotics related to health claims and recommended duration of use, proper storage temperature conditions, and time limit for ‘Best Use’ after opening the container;

(e) an advisory warning ‘NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE’ prominently written; and

(f) a warning or any other precaution to be taken while consuming, known side effects, if any, contraindications, and product-drug interactions, as applicable.

LABEL CLAIM FOR PROBIOTIC FOOD:

(a) the words “PREBIOTIC FOOD”;

(b) name of prebiotic;

(c) the suggested or recommended serving size which shall deliver the effective dose of prebiotic related to the health claim;

(d) an advisory warning ‘NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE’ prominently written;

(e) a warning or any other precautions to be taken while consuming, known side effects, if any, contraindications, and product-drug interactions, as applicable.

ADDITIVES AS PER Schedule VA to Schedule VF.

Hence the take away points are simple:

• Remember that your client will always expect the most appropriate packaging and label, this in a way certifies your product quality in the eye of your consumer.
• Your brand will remain strong among your consumers if your product packaging and labels are not confusing or misleading in any way.
• As a manufacturing company you must document complete details of your formulations and their subsequent Label claims including dietary intake and reference data along with other metrics.
• Manufacturing companies need to follow strict guidelines as per the licensing authority, in case of India – the same is governed by FSSAI, hence stick to it.

We at Rass Biosolution Provide end to end solution in form of comprehensive services, such as understand your end application, designing formulations, labels and documenting paper work as per FSSAI rules and regulations, finalizing end commodity with quality testing and its packaging with logistics support.

Kindly whatsapp me on +91-8090113353 for any type of formulation that you wish to get designed as per food law with proper label claims and packaging.

Ruchi Khanna

ruchi@rass-biosolution.com