Consumers nowadays are tuned in to the contents of the products they are buying. Most people are familiar with picking up a container in a store and turning it round to consult the back of the packaging. At first glance a Nutrition Facts Panel and a Supplement Facts Panel look the same – but they actually serve different purposes.
What is a Nutrition Facts Panel?
This label is found on nearly all packaged food products. The aim is to provide you with a picture of the food’s nutritional content. This means that you will be able to see how many calories you are consuming per serving and also understand the breakdown of fat, carbohydrates, proteins etc.
The purpose of the panel is to help consumers make informed decisions – particularly around intake of nutrients such as saturated fats, added sugars and sodium.
A Nutrition Facts Panel is in a standardized format and will always include the following:
- Serving size
- Calories
- Macronutrients
- e.g. total fat, cholesterol, protein, etc.
- Micronutrients
- e.g. vitamins and minerals
- % Daily Values
- How much one serving of the food contributes to the recommended daily intake (RDI)
What is a Supplement Facts Panel?
A Supplement Facts Panel (SFP) is also in a standardized format and can be found in the same place on packaging as the Nutrition Facts Panel is. However, rather than informing you about the nutritional content of foods, the Supplement Facts Panel found on dietary supplements provides a breakdown of active ingredients including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino-acids etc.
The purpose of the SFP is to inform you of the active ingredients included, how much there is of each ingredient in a single serving, whether these meet a certain % daily value, and information on any other ingredients used in the formulation such as flavorings, fillers and binders.
A Supplement Facts Panel will include the following
- Serving size – e.g. 1 capsule / 2 capsules
- Servings per container
- Active ingredients
- the name of the ingredient,
- the amount per serving, and,
- % daily value where applicable (not all ingredients have daily values)
- Other ingredients – these could be the capsules (gelatin, cellulose), fillers, anti-caking agents, flavoring and preservatives
A Supplement Facts Panel may sometimes list what is known as a Proprietary Blend. This is a group of ingredients listed under a single heading, with the total amount of the blend shown, rather than listing each single ingredient. This is usually done to protect formulas from competitors or to stand out as a unique brand.
When should I expect to see a Supplement Facts Panel or a Nutrition Facts Panel?
The clue is in the name – if what you are taking is a supplement to your food intake, then you can expect to see a Supplement Facts Panel, otherwise all other food and beverages will have a Nutrition Facts Panel included on their packaging.
One grey area regarding this is when it comes to Protein Powders which can fall under both food and supplement categories. The key to knowing which panel to use depends on how the item is being marketed; if the protein is being marketed as a supplement e.g. “supports muscle recovery” then a Supplement Facts Panel should be used. If the item is marketed primarily as food intake e.g. “meal replacement” then it should contain a Nutrition Facts Panel.