• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Apr 12, 2021
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

Tax Bandits banner
Home / Sales and Marketing / How to Find Trustworthy Supplements on Amazon
How to Find Trustworthy Supplements on Amazon

How to Find Trustworthy Supplements on Amazon

246 Views

Apr 8, 2021 By Brian Wallace

By 2027, the global market for dietary supplements will reach $231 billion. Many of these sales are made online, and 77% of online supplement sales take place on one platform: Amazon. While this platform does provide customers with convenience and a wide selection of products, the quality of Amazon supplements is a growing concern.

Supplements are meant to make people healthier, but 5,486 incidents involving vitamins or dietary supplements were reported to Poison Control in 2018. Suspected vitamin overdoses have increased by 35% over the last twenty years. According to one study, nearly 1 in 3 people taking both dietary supplements and prescription medications are at risk for an adverse drug reaction. The dangers of mixing the wrong supplement into one’s diet cannot be overstated.

What makes the selection on Amazon so dangerous? Many supplements sold on Amazon are mislabeled. Mislabeled supplements may contain far higher doses of their active ingredients than claimed, include unlisted ingredients (even pharmaceuticals), and/or lack at least one active or inactive ingredient the label claims it possesses.

58% of Amazon sales are made by 3rd party sellers, limiting Amazon’s legal liability for these products. While Amazon sellers are supposed to agree to follow all laws and regulations in the territory their products are sold, many product listings fail to follow FDA requirements. Some go so far as to lie and claim their product is “FDA approved.”

More than pure negligence, Amazon’s conscious choices contribute to the problem: Amazon listings for one company’s supplements continued to appear even after the company was sued for the Department of Justice for fraud. Amazon gives badges to supplements with fake or misleading reviews and listings that don’t include FDA-required labels. Amazon’s attempts to reign in the problem of fraud on their site are weak at best.

What can a customer do to find reliable supplements? One step is to understand the regulations; keep in mind what the FDA does and does not test for in supplements. Also check for 3rd party testing; all supplement sellers should provide a certificate of analysis (CoA) on their website.

Furthermore, watch out for resellers who don’t specialize in supplements or health products. Prioritize verified reviews over unverified, and make sure the company selling has a presence beyond Amazon. Finally, talk to a doctor before starting a new dietary supplement.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Don’t fall for fake supplements.

Unwinding The Online Supplements Business

Filed Under: Sales and Marketing Tagged With: Reviews

Brian Wallace

Brian Wallace

Brian Wallace is the Founder and President of NowSourcing, an industry leading infographic design agency based in Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH which works with companies that range from startups to Fortune 500s. Brian also runs #LinkedInLocal events nationwide, hosts the Next Action Podcast, and has been named a Google Small Business Advisor for 2016-2018.

Related Posts

  • Do You Know Your Team’s Talent Quotient?
  • How to Get Ratings and Reviews for Your Small Business
  • 3 Steps to Great Customer Reviews

Primary Sidebar

Random

Startup 101: The Importance of Tax Planning

Apr 12, 2021 By Andrew Deen

4 Ways to Best Support Curbside Operations

Apr 12, 2021 By Eleanor Hecks

5 Common Causes Why Your Website is Slow 

Apr 12, 2021 By Jason Chow

3 Secrets to Optimize Your Business Online Presence in 2021

Apr 11, 2021 By Luke Hyde

Diversity & Inclusion: Best Practices for Project Managers

Apr 11, 2021 By Michelle Symonds

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy