Trend: Finally, Some Transparency Into What’s in That Supplement

Trend: Finally, Some Transparency Into What’s in That Supplement

Supplements are a massive market, but one plagued by lax regulations and serious credibility issues. Most simply aren’t what they claim to be. Now, thankfully, more companies are giving a clear window into ingredients, and tracing the sourcing and production processes … from seed to final product

Supplements are a booming $178 billion market that’s moved from humble health aid on pharmacy shelves to cultural phenomenon. Problem is, there may not be a wellness market so big that is also so clouded in skepticism and science-washing. It’s an industry defined by few regulations, glossy packaging and celebrity endorsements.  

Our 2025 trend, “The Supplement Paradox: Wellness, Efficacy and the Trust Revolution,” explores several new directions that may be able to address the crisis in supplement trust. Among them, we see a powerful shift towards personalization, with biomarker and genetic testing and predictive AI creating supplements tailored to an individual’s actual needs, that could prevents risks like toxic over-supplementation.  

What’s in That Pill? The trend covers one of the most pervasive problems with supplements: many countries, from Algeria to the US, have almost no regulations––while in countries with stricter rules, such as EU nations and China, oversight is so inconsistent globally that it fuels confusion. As NIH researchers put it, in their global overview of the industry, “Supplements are loosely regulated because they’re culturally embedded and driven by an industry that is in a vacuum and separate from public health imperatives. Furthermore, there is little agreement between countries on the regulatory requirements, definition, or even the terminology that can be used to classify supplements.” The upshot: what’s in that hyped gummy is too often unclear; ingredients and production processes have been dangerously vague.  

It’s a huge problem in the massive US market, where supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, even though half the population thinks they are. A 2023 study in JAMA tested 60 popular supplements sold in the US and found that only 11% of them contain exactly what their labels claim, and 40% of them contain no trace of one of the ingredients listed. A Business Insider report revealed that supplements send thousands of people to the emergency room every year. If the EU has stricter standards, supplement ingredients are under rising scrutiny there. An Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety study found that for 50 supplements tested there, 21 contained non-approved ingredients.

Ritual: Ritual’s supplements may be Instagram-trendy––they just announced they clocked $250 million in sales last year––but they built that powerful brand on transparency, providing clear info about ingredient sources, suppliers, place of manufacturing, and now, environmental footprint. Notably, they’re investing in clinical trials, with $5 million committed to studies on all of their products by 2030. Lindsay Dahl, Ritual’s chief impact officer, has noted, “The transparency and the receipts … on our website are a proof point for our customers who are skeptical.”  

Amway: Founded in 1959, Amway is the world’s leading direct selling health and wellbeing company, with a presence in 100 countries/territories, from Argentina to Vietnam. It has the #1 global supplement brand, Nutrilite. The company provides complete traceability: while many brands only track ingredient origins, they make clear every step of product creation. Their chief marketing officer, Melodie Nahkle, explains why and how. “Traceability of product development is rapidly emerging as a key factor for consumers who want assurance of safety, authenticity and purity in their supplements. In the wake of the pandemic, people are more willing to invest time and effort into researching the products they purchase. Botanical ingredients used in our Nutrilite supplements go through an uncompromising nine-step traceability process unique to us. By providing transparency of every step, we empower our consumers to feel confident of the products they are choosing. Consumers can now experience that journey firsthand on the all-new Amway Tracing Tool.” With this new tool consumers can follow the whole process from seed to final package and also view the science, safety tests, and more. Chief Research & Development Officer Kristi Pelc added, “At Amway, we hold ourselves and our raw material suppliers to the highest level of traceability through careful sourcing, detailed paperwork and rigorous audits. Our commitment to traceability and willingness to be transparent about the details means we can meet consumer needs by sharing our product creation process, from labs to farms to manufacturing and more.” 

Japanese companies such as Japan Supplement Foods and J-Oil Mills (with their supplement menatto, or K2) are embracing clear labels and clear origins: with verified ingredient info and tracing systems that let customers track where every ingredient has been before it reaches their mouths.  

GEM: Epitomizes the movement of redefining supplements as real food and “clean medicine,” by using nutrient-dense, whole-food ingredients that are a clean alternative to traditional capsules and powders. By reimaging supplements as bites that nourish the body without synthetic fillers, GEM appeals to consumers seeking transparent solutions.  

SuppCo: Last week the company launched the first app giving people access to 195,000 supplements indexed by their full ingredients, certifications, and quality standards. Their TrustScore rating system evaluates 520+ brands by 29 key attributes to ensure manufacturing standards, product certifications, and product quality indicators. Their rating system also includes the first ever warnings for the 900+ inactive ingredients in supplements, helping users avoid dangerous additives like Red #40, Titanium Dioxide, and more. 

So much more is going on: the French Ministry of Agriculture launched the ambitious platform Compl’Alim to boost supplement transparency, and Premier Research Labs is just one new brand aiming to bring full visibility into sourcing and production processes and to take purity “to the next level.”  

The criticism of the Wild West supplement market is seemingly only matched by people’s endless desire for them. It’s hard to believe that in places like the US a supplement can come to market without the FDA being aware of it. But in an increasingly crowded and scrutinized market, the brand winners of the future will be those that proactively earn consumer trust by providing some new, radical, verifiable transparency.  

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