The Council for Responsible Nutrition has announced new voluntary guidelines for the industry, in which members are expected that online retailers selling dietary supplements and functional foods offer the same information as what would be available to consumers shopping at in-store locations.
 
These new recommendations align with recent draft guidelines by the Codex Committee on Food Labeling, a group which sets standards and guidelines for nutrition information on food packages.
 
The new guidelines urge that all CRN members provide identical information at online retail platforms as what would be available to consumers on labels during in-store purchases. The guidelines address what information is minimally required for display/availability to consumers on internet platforms on sales that are maintained by manufacturers, or sale for third party marketplaces where the display is controlled by the producer.
 
Adherence to guidelines is expected for all CRN members, and CRN also encourages all store brands, packagers, distributors, importers, and online retailers to apply.
 
“CRN and its members recognize that consumers planning to purchase a dietary supplement via online platforms should have access to the same information to read, review, compare and make a purchasing decision as if that person was standing in their neighborhood store, able to hold the physical package and read its label,” said Jim Griffiths, PhD, senior vice president of international and regulatory affairs at CRN. “Choosing to purchase these products online should not decrease one’s ability to obtain product information to make buying decisions.” 
 
The minimal information that should be included on online retail platforms, per the guidelines, includes:
 

• The product’s name;
• List of ingredients both on the Supplement Facts Panel and other ingredients;
• List of allergens; net quantity of contents expressed as weight, measure, or numerical count (e.g. pills, capsules, gels);
• Name and address of the producer;
• Instructions for use such as dosing instructions, including warning/cautionary statements that appear on the label;
• If a structure/function claim is made, the FDA DSHEA disclaimer statement “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” on the webpage;
• Storage instructions such as “store in a cool, dry place,” or “keep refrigerated.”

 
CRN recommends that all companies comply with the guidelines by December 31, 2024. While not a requirement for membership, the guidelines are strongly encouraged for members by the association, which considers the guidelines to be a standard of industry practice and holds its members accountable for failure to follow them.
 
The guidelines were developed by the e-commerce work group of CRN, and were approved by CRN’s board of directors in December 2023.