How to Read a Supplement Facts Panel

Updated 2026-09-20 · 6 min read

The front of a supplement box is marketing. The back is regulated. Learning to read the back takes about five minutes and makes most supplement marketing fall apart.

Start with serving size, always

Every number on a Supplement Facts panel is per serving, and the manufacturer chooses the serving. This is the single most common way two products get compared unfairly.

If product A lists 2,000mg per serving and a serving is two sachets, while product B lists 1,500mg per serving and a serving is one sachet, then B is the more concentrated product despite the smaller number. Check the serving size before you compare anything else.

Proprietary blends hide the amounts

A proprietary blend lists several ingredients with one combined weight, so you learn the total but never the individual amounts. A 1,000mg blend could be 950mg of the cheapest ingredient and 50mg split between the ones on the front of the box.

It is legal, and it is sometimes defended as protecting a formula, but for a buyer it removes the information you need. A panel that names each ingredient with its own amount is giving you more.

Daily value, and the dagger

The percent daily value column tells you how much of an established daily reference amount a serving provides. Where you see a dagger symbol and a note reading daily value not established, it means no official reference amount exists for that ingredient.

That is normal for botanicals and bee products, and it is not a red flag on its own. It does mean that nobody has set an official target, so a large number cannot be read as a large proportion of anything.

Read "Other ingredients"

Below the panel is an "Other ingredients" line listing everything not in the table: fillers, carriers, sweeteners, preservatives, capsule materials, colours. It is worth reading, especially for allergens.

A short list is not automatically better, but a list far longer than the active ingredients is worth a second look. For ONYX the other ingredients are honey and deionized apple juice concentrate.

The FDA disclaimer is required, not reassuring

Nearly every supplement carries a line like: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

That statement is legally required when a product makes structure or function claims. Its presence tells you the manufacturer is following labelling rules. It is not a seal of approval, and it does not mean the product was tested by anyone.

Supplements are not pre-approved

This surprises people. In the United States the FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they go on sale. Manufacturers are responsible for their own safety and labelling, and the FDA generally acts after a problem appears. So "FDA approved" on a supplement is not a meaningful claim; if anything it is a warning sign, because it cannot be true.

A checklist you can actually use

What is the serving size, and how many servings are in the container?
Are individual ingredient amounts listed, or hidden in a proprietary blend?
Is the botanical named by species, for example Panax ginseng rather than just ginseng?
For an extract, is there a ratio or a standardisation percentage?
What is in "Other ingredients", and does anything there affect you?
Are there allergen warnings, and do they apply to you?
Is there a lot number and an expiry date?
Does the company give a real address and a way to contact a human?

That last one matters more than it sounds. A supplement brand with no physical address and no phone number is a brand you cannot reach when something is wrong.

ONYX publishes its full panel, ingredient list, warnings, batch details and a real address and phone number on the site.

Read our panel

Common questions

What does "daily value not established" mean?

It means no official daily reference amount exists for that ingredient. It is common for botanicals and bee products and is not a quality problem, but it does mean a large milligram number cannot be interpreted as a percentage of any official target.

Are proprietary blends bad?

They are legal and common, but they hide individual ingredient amounts behind a single combined weight. As a buyer you get less information, and you cannot tell whether the headline ingredient is present in a meaningful amount.

Does FDA approved mean anything on a supplement?

No. The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before sale, so no supplement can accurately be described as FDA approved. A claim like that on a label is a reason for more scepticism, not less.

Why do two products with the same milligrams differ in price?

Serving size, the form of the ingredient such as extract versus raw powder, standardisation, sourcing, testing and packaging all affect cost. Check the serving size and the preparation before concluding that one is overpriced.