EU Compliant Nutraceutical Ingredients
An EU compliant supplement ingredient is one that is permitted for use in food supplements in its specific form, used within any applicable maximum level, cleared of novel food concerns, and backed by a certificate of analysis and specification that prove its identity and purity. Indock sources ingredients against these criteria so that what you buy can be used in products placed on the EU market.
Permitted ingredients and forms
EU food supplement rules set out which substances may be used and, for vitamins and minerals, which chemical forms are permitted. The same nutrient can be allowed in one form and not another, so compliance starts with confirming the exact form, not just the nutrient name.
Maximum levels
Some ingredients carry maximum levels or are the subject of national limits across EU member states. Compliant sourcing means knowing the permitted level for the markets you sell into and formulating within it, which is checked before an ingredient is recommended.
Novel food status
A novel food is an ingredient without a significant history of consumption in the EU before 1997. Newer actives, certain extracts, and some fermentation-derived ingredients can fall under the novel food rules and need authorisation before sale. Checking novel food status early avoids sourcing an active that cannot legally be placed on the market.
EFSA and the science behind the rules
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provides the scientific assessments that underpin EU decisions on permitted ingredients, maximum levels, and novel food authorisations. EFSA informs the rules rather than supplying ingredients, and its opinions are a useful reference point when evaluating a newer active.
CoA and specification documentation
Compliance has to be evidenced. A certificate of analysis (CoA) and a specification sheet document each ingredient’s identity, purity, and form, which is the proof that it matches what the rules permit. Every ingredient Indock supplies comes with this documentation.
How Indock handles EU compliance
We check permitted forms, maximum levels, and novel food status when sourcing, and supply the CoA and specification with each ingredient. For the documentation detail, see quality and documentation, and for how compliance is checked on each active, see ingredient compliance. When sourcing botanical actives specifically, see sourcing EU compliant botanical extracts.
Frequently asked questions
An EU compliant ingredient is one that is permitted for use in food supplements in its given form, used within any applicable maximum level, cleared of novel food concerns, and backed by a certificate of analysis and specification that document its identity and purity.
A novel food is an ingredient without a significant history of consumption in the EU before 1997. Such ingredients need authorisation before they can be placed on the EU market, so novel food status is checked before sourcing a newer active.
EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, provides the scientific assessments that underpin EU decisions on permitted ingredients, maximum levels, and novel food authorisations. It informs the rules rather than supplying ingredients.
A certificate of analysis (CoA) and a specification sheet document an ingredient's identity, purity, and form, which is the evidence you need to show it matches what the rules permit. Indock supplies both with every ingredient.
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