American supplements: brands, labels and what original means

Many of the best-known supplement brands in the gym are American: from pre-workouts to protein, all the way to vitamin and mineral supplements. This guide explains how an American supplement reaches the shelves in Italy, what changes between the American and the European label, what «original» really means and which American brands you will find at Citymuscle.

Which supplement brands are American?

According to their pages on our site, these brands are based in or were founded in the United States:

• Sports nutrition: ProSupps, Cellucor, Evogen, Universal Nutrition (with the Animal line), Rule One, Ultimate Nutrition, Nutrex Research, MuscleMeds, RedCon1, MAN Sports and All American EFX.
• Vitamins, minerals and wellbeing: NOW Foods (Illinois), Jarrow Formulas (California), Nordic Naturals (founded in California) and Enzymedica (Florida).

If you are looking for an American pre-workout, the best-known names on the list are Cellucor's C4 and ProSupps' Mr. Hyde line.

Can an American supplement be sold in Italy?

Yes, but in Italy European and Italian law applies, not American law, whatever the country where the product is made. For supplements this means three things above all.

• Notification to the Ministry: in Italy, placing a supplement on the market requires notifying its label to the Ministry of Health. After notification the product is added to the Register of food supplements with an alphanumeric code, which the manufacturer may print on the label.
• A responsible operator in the EU: if the business selling the product under its name is not established in the Union, the operator responsible for the label information is the importer into the EU market.
• An understandable language: mandatory information must appear in a language easily understood by consumers in the country where the product is sold. In Italy, therefore, look for the label in Italian, even if it is added over the original one.

Note a point the Ministry itself stresses: the notification and the register code are not an authorisation nor a recognition of compliance. Responsibility stays with the business placing the product on the market.

What changes between the American and the European label?

The American disclaimer reads: «This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease». If you see it, you are reading text written for the American market: the statements on effects next to it are not authorised claims in Europe.

Is the American % Daily Value the same as the European NRV?

No: the reference values are not the same, so the same amount gives different percentages. Three examples:

10 mg of zinc are 91% of the American Daily Value and 100% of the European NRV; 375 mg of magnesium are 89% of the Daily Value and 100% of the NRV.

To compare two products, look at the milligrams per daily dose rather than the percentage, unless both labels use the same reference. For zinc, magnesium and B6, the guide ZMA, zinc and magnesium also explains the maximum amounts allowed in Italy.

What is a «proprietary blend» and how do you read it?

In the United States a manufacturer may group several ingredients under a fanciful name, for example «Energy Blend», and declare only the total weight of the blend, with the ingredients in descending order of weight. You know what is in it, but not how much of each.

In Europe the amount of each substance with a nutritional or physiological effect must be given in figures, per daily dose. That is why the European version of an American product may have a more detailed table than the original, or a different formula.

Why can the American formula differ from the European one?

Because some ingredient rules are different. In Europe a substance, to be used in a supplement, must have a significant history of consumption already recorded in the Union; if it does not, it is a novel food and needs EU authorisation before it can be used, even only in supplements. In Italy the maximum levels of vitamins and minerals set by the Ministry also apply. An ingredient or a dose that is common in the United States may therefore not be common here, and the same name may correspond to two formulas.

Before buying, compare the table of the product in front of you, not the one on the brand's American website.

What does «original American supplement» mean?

«Original» says that the product is made by the brand whose name it carries, and is not a copy. It does not say which market it was made for or whether it was notified in Italy. To find out, check the label for:

• the brand name and the name and address of the operator responsible in the EU;
• the mandatory information in Italian;
• the daily dose and the amounts in figures, including for the ingredients of blends;
• if present, the code of the Italian Ministry of Health's Register of food supplements.

In short

• An American supplement sold in Italy follows European and Italian rules, not American ones.
• In Italy supplements are notified to the Ministry of Health; the register code is not an authorisation.
• % Daily Value and % NRV cannot be compared: look at the milligrams.
• A «proprietary blend» gives only the total weight; in Europe each substance must be declared in figures.
• The same brand may have different American and European formulas: read the table of the product you buy.

You will find all brands on the Brands page; for pre-workouts there is the Pre-workout category.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose stated on the label.