In Europe, what a food supplement label must say is set by Directive 2002/46/EC, transposed in France by the decree of 20 March 2006, and by the general food-information regulation (Regulation 1169/2011). The rules are precise: the amount of each nutrient or substance must be given per recommended daily portion, vitamins and minerals must show their percentage of the reference value, ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight, and three warning sentences are mandatory. Once you know the grammar, every label becomes readable in under a minute.
1. What the law forces onto the label
2. The three lines, one by one
Line 1 · The form of each active
"Green tea" and "green tea extract standardised to 98 % L-theanine" are not the same ingredient. The first is a powdered leaf; the second is a concentrate in which the molecule of interest has been measured. Look for the word standardised (or "titrated") and a percentage. For minerals and vitamins, the form matters too: magnesium bisglycinate rather than oxide, vitamin B6 as pyridoxal-5'-phosphate rather than pyridoxine hydrochloride.
Line 2 · The dose per day
The table is expressed per daily portion, not per capsule. Compare that figure with the doses used in studies: around 200 mg of L-theanine, 28 to 30 mg of saffron extract, 200 to 600 mg of rhodiola extract. For minerals, check whether the figure is the elemental amount: 40 mg of magnesium means about 200 mg of bisglycinate, since the salt is only 20 % magnesium. A label that shows "200 mg magnesium bisglycinate" is telling you something else.
Line 3 · The % of reference values
The NRV (nutrient reference value) is the daily amount set in Annex XIII of Regulation 1169/2011 for an average adult: 375 mg for magnesium, 1.4 mg for vitamin B6. The percentage tells you how much of that need the product covers. It exists only for vitamins and minerals; plants and amino acids have no reference value, so their line shows a dash. Above 100 % is not a danger sign in itself: what matters is the distance to the tolerable upper level (12 mg a day for B6 according to EFSA, 250 mg a day for supplemental magnesium).
The fourth line · Precautions
Three sentences are compulsory on every supplement in Europe: do not exceed the recommended daily dose; not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle; keep out of reach of young children. Then come the product-specific ones: pregnancy and breastfeeding, children, ongoing treatment, and for some plants a maximum duration of use. Their absence is a red flag, not a sign of safety.
3. Four numbers that change how you read
4. Worked example: the CALM AUTHORITY table
| Per 2 capsules (daily portion) | Amount | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Green tea extract, of which L-theanine | 300 mg · 294 mg | Standardised to 98 %. The 294 mg is the figure to compare with studies, which mostly use 200 mg. |
| Rhodiola rosea extract, of which rosavins · salidroside | 300 mg · 9 mg · 3 mg | The 3 % / 1 % standardisation is the one used in most clinical trials on rhodiola. |
| Saffron extract (Moodreal®), of which safranal | 30 mg · 0,6 mg | Standardised to 2 % safranal; 30 mg a day is the dose found in most saffron trials. |
| Magnesium (from bisglycinate) | 40 mg · 10,7 % | Elemental magnesium, in a well-absorbed form. A complement to the plate, not a replacement: the % NRV says so honestly. |
| Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate) | 2,55 mg · 182 % | Active form. Above the reference value, well below the 12 mg upper level: a physiological dose. |
| Excipients | — | Plant capsule (HPMC), microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium salts of vegetable fatty acids. Listed in the ingredients, as required. |
Figures as printed on the CALM AUTHORITY label. Clinical doses quoted for context only: the studies concern the ingredients, not the finished product, and are not health claims.
5. True or false: label myths
| The claim | Verdict | The nuance |
|---|---|---|
| "More milligrams, more effect" | False | 500 mg of a non-standardised powder may contain less active molecule than 100 mg of a standardised extract. Weight without a standardisation is noise. |
| "A 10:1 extract is ten times stronger" | Not necessarily | The ratio says how much plant went in, not how much active came out. Only a standardisation ("3 % rosavins") tells you the content. |
| "Over 100 % NRV is dangerous" | False | The NRV is an average need, not a ceiling. Safety is judged against the upper level, which is often several times higher. 1,000 % or more, on the other hand, deserves a question. |
| "Excipients are useless fillers" | False | A capsule has to be filled evenly and flow through the machine: cellulose and anti-caking agents make the dose reproducible. Their presence is normal; their nature is what to look at. |
| "Natural means no precautions" | False | Plants interact with medicines and hormones. A label with no precaution line is not reassuring; it is incomplete. |
Educational content, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication, show the label to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement.
6. And day to day?
Turn the box over before reading the front. Find the table, check that amounts are per daily portion, look for the word "standardised" next to each plant, and read the mineral line for the elemental amount. Then read the precautions: they are the most honest sentences on the packaging. At BIORYA we apply the same discipline to ourselves: the composition table is published in full on the product page, the science behind each active lives in the Observatory, separately from the sales pitch, and what we may or may not say is the subject of another article. A label you can read in a minute is a label that has nothing to hide.
7. Sources
- European Parliament and Council (2002). Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements — Article 6: mandatory labelling.
- European Parliament and Council (2011). Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers — Annex XIII: nutrient reference values.
- French Republic (2006). Décret n° 2006-352 du 20 mars 2006 relatif aux compléments alimentaires.
- DGCCRF. Compléments alimentaires : réglementation et déclaration (Teleicare). economie.gouv.fr.
- EFSA NDA Panel (2023). Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin B6. EFSA Journal.
- Scientific Committee on Food (2001). Opinion on the tolerable upper intake level of magnesium. — the 250 mg/day figure for supplemental magnesium.
- Firoz M., Graber M. (2001). Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparations. Magnesium Research — why the salt matters.
- Hidese S. et al. (2019). Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults. Nutrients — the 200 mg dose.
- Lopresti A. L., Drummond P. D. (2014). Saffron (Crocus sativus) for depression: a systematic review of clinical studies. Human Psychopharmacology — the 30 mg/day dose across trials.
Want to see a label that reads in a minute? The full CALM AUTHORITY composition is on the product page.