The Hidden Truths of the UK Supplements Industry: Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever

By the SellHealth UK Team | July 21, 2025

At SellHealth UK, we're passionate about empowering you to make informed choices for your health. As a proudly British brand committed to the highest standards of quality and transparency, we source our ingredients ethically, conduct rigorous independent testing, and provide full traceability for every product. But not everyone in the industry plays by the same rules. In this blog, we'll pull back the curtain on some shocking loopholes and practices in the UK supplements trade. Our goal? To help you navigate this murky world and choose supplements that truly deliver on their promises.

Whether you're a fitness enthusiast popping daily vitamins or someone exploring botanicals for wellness, understanding these issues could save you money—and protect your health. Let's dive in.

The "Made in the UK" Myth: What's Really Inside Your Bottle?

Picture this: You spot a supplement labelled "Made in the UK" and assume it's crafted from top-tier British ingredients. Sounds reassuring, right? But here's the catch—UK food-labelling laws, retained from EU Regulation 1169/2011, only require mandatory country-of-origin declarations for specific foods like meats, fish, honey, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables. Food supplements? They're not on that list.

This loophole lets companies import ready-to-use raw materials from abroad, do minimal steps like blending or packaging in the UK, and slap on that "Made in the UK" label without revealing where the active ingredients came from. As long as they don't outright imply domestic sourcing (like claiming "grown in British fields"), it's all legal. But does that feel transparent to you?

Even Article 26 of the EU Food Information to Consumers (FIC) regulation, which mandates origin labelling if omission could mislead, has been tightened for some processed foods since 2020—but supplements remain exempt. The result? Consumers like you are often left in the dark about the true origins of what they're ingesting.

For more on this, check out the official GOV.UK guidance on food labelling and insights from the British Nutrition Foundation.

The Global Supply Chain: Why Most Ingredients Come from Asia

Europe—and by extension, the UK—doesn't produce most botanical ingredients domestically. In 2023 alone, Europe imported over 87,000 tonnes of botanical extracts, worth nearly €1.2 billion, with 35% of the global value coming from emerging markets like China, India, and Vietnam.

Many of these plants are already processed into extracts in their countries of origin before being shipped. UK facilities? They typically handle low-effort stages like blending or encapsulation because building full extraction plants here would be astronomically expensive—think specialized equipment, high-pressure systems, and solvent recovery that just aren't feasible at scale.

This reliance on imports isn't inherently bad, but without transparency, it opens the door to quality inconsistencies. At SellHealth UK, we buck this trend by partnering with vetted suppliers and providing batch-specific origin details—because you deserve to know.

Source: CBI Market Information on Natural Ingredients.

No Mandatory Testing: A Recipe for Risk

In the UK, supplements are treated like general foods under the law—no need to register, license, or undergo mandatory independent lab testing before hitting shelves. Manufacturers self-regulate, ensuring compliance with safety and composition rules, but there's no systematic oversight like random batch checks.

This means third-party verifications are voluntary, rare, and costly, leaving many small businesses relying on in-house Certificates of Analysis (COAs) that aren't guaranteed impartial. It's a system built on trust, but as we'll see, that trust is often misplaced.

For the full scoop, see GOV.UK's nutrition legislation sheet and HSIS on food supplements regulations.

The High Price of True Quality (And Why Cheap Tests Raise Red Flags)

Genuine high-grade ingredients—free from fillers or adulterants—can cost several times more than basic powders. Accredited labs (ISO 17025 standards) charge hundreds per test for thorough checks on potency, purity, and contaminants. If a service seems suspiciously cheap, it might involve "dry-labbing"—superficial tests that skip the real work.

As one industry expert put it: "Seeing some pricing at other labs really makes you wonder what exactly they are doing for their testing." At SellHealth UK, we invest in gold-standard testing because skimping on quality isn't an option.

Insights from Kazmira Therapeutics.

Fake COAs and Global Shake-Ups: Lessons from the US

Fraudulent COAs are a worldwide plague—manufacturers photoshop logos or fudge numbers with no central audits to catch them. In the US, Amazon cracked down in April 2024, requiring direct COAs from just three approved bodies (NSF, UL, or Eurofins) for all supplements. No more unverified docs; non-compliance meant instant delisting, chaos for small brands.

This "gatekeeper" model exposed how even big platforms struggle with fakes. Here in the UK? No such mandates yet, leaving the door wide open.

Read more in Nutraceuticals World and SupplySide Supplement Journal.

Adulterated Products Slipping Through: Real-World Warnings

Even under stricter rules, fakes persist. A recent Wired probe tested six popular creatine gummies: Four had little to no creatine—one top-seller clocked in at under 0.1% of its claimed dose, despite passing Amazon's checks. Glowing reviews? High sales? Meaningless without integrity.

These cases erode trust and highlight health risks from substandard formulas. It's why we at SellHealth UK publish batch-by-batch results online—transparency builds confidence.

Full story: Wired on Creatine Gummies.

2025 Updates: Progress or More of the Same?

Fast-forward to today: Have things improved? Recent regulatory tweaks show some movement, but core issues linger. For instance, the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims (NHC) register was updated in February 2025, adding non-authorised claims for beta-glucan and creatine, clarifying what can't be said on labels to boost transparency.

In June 2025, new rules kicked in for botanical health claims, prohibiting them if not authorised, per an EU Court ruling. Safety debates rage on ingredients like Ashwagandha, with UK restrictions likely incoming after FSA consultations. And a government consultation on fairer labelling showed support for mandatory origin info on processed meats—but supplements? Still overlooked.

Increased scrutiny and litigation are on the rise, with calls for rethinking novel foods and vitamin limits to spur innovation. Yet, mandatory independent testing and COA audits remain absent, perpetuating opacity.

Wrapping Up: Choose Transparency, Choose Health

The UK supplements market hides behind "British quality" while outsourcing real production—and accountability—to opaque global chains. With fake COAs rampant and no compulsory checks, consumer trust is at stake. Even 2025's updates, while welcome, don't fix the fundamentals.

At SellHealth UK, we're different:

• Full Traceability: Know exactly where every ingredient comes from.

• Independent Lab Testing: Every batch verified by accredited third parties, results published online.

• No Fillers, No Fakes: Premium, potent formulas backed by science.

Don't settle for less—demand verifiable COAs, scrutinise origins, and support brands that prioritise you. Ready to upgrade your routine? Explore our range of transparent, UK-made supplements today.

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What do you think—have you encountered dodgy supplements? Share in the comments below!