How to read a supplement label in India: proprietary blends, CoAs and red flags

Start with the supplement facts

A good label lists every ingredient with its amount per serving. If you cannot tell how many milligrams of each active you are getting, you cannot compare products or judge safety.

Check the serving size and servings per pack so you can work out the real cost per serving.

Watch for proprietary blends

A proprietary blend lists several ingredients under one total weight without giving each amount. This lets a brand put impressive names on the label while using very little of the expensive ones.

Prefer labels that show each ingredient and dose separately.

Check the FSSAI details

Look for the manufacturer name and address, an FSSAI licence number, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates, and the vegetarian or non-vegetarian mark.

Be careful with products missing these details.

Ask for the Certificate of Analysis (CoA)

A CoA is a lab report for a specific batch. It should come from an independent, accredited laboratory and typically covers identity, potency and contaminants such as heavy metals and microbes.

Match the batch number on the CoA to the one on your pack. A generic report that is not batch-specific tells you much less.

Common red flags

Claims to cure, treat or prevent disease, or guaranteed results.

Fake urgency, invented reviews or celebrity endorsements you cannot verify.

No contact details, no licence number or no way to reach the seller.

Doses far above what research uses, with no explanation.

Worked example: reading a focus capsule label

Imagine a label that lists a "Focus Matrix 600 mg" containing five herbal extracts. You cannot tell whether the capsule holds 400 mg of a cheap filler and 20 mg of the expensive herb. A better label would list each extract and its milligrams separately.

Next, check the serving size. If the dose is two capsules but the price is quoted per bottle, the real cost per day may be double what you assumed.

Active ingredient forms and units

Labels should say which form of an ingredient is used, such as the extract and its standardised percentage, since a plant extract at 50 per cent active is very different from raw powder. Vitamins are shown in micrograms or milligrams, and sometimes as a percentage of a recommended intake.

If you cannot compare the form and dose with what research used, ask the brand. A transparent seller will answer.

Allergens, excipients and capsules

Check for allergens such as soy, dairy, gluten or nuts, and look at the "other ingredients" list for fillers, colours and preservatives. Vegetarian capsules are made from plant material such as HPMC, while gelatin capsules come from animals.

People with allergies or dietary restrictions should read this part carefully.

Storage, expiry and batch details

Look for the manufacturing date, expiry date, batch number and storage instructions on the pack. Heat and moisture can degrade supplements, so tightly sealed, barrier packaging matters.

Match the batch number to its CoA when one is available.

Questions to ask a brand

Who manufactures it, and do they hold a valid FSSAI licence? Which independent lab tested this batch, and what did it test for? Can I see the full dose of each active? What is your return and refund policy?

Brands that welcome these questions are usually the ones worth buying from.

How LockIn approaches this

LockIn is being built around the checklist above: disclosed doses, no proprietary blends and third-party lab reports published with each batch. Nothing is on sale yet. Join the waitlist to see the formula and CoA first.

Frequently asked questions