Vitamin B12 supplement labels: UK buying dossier
The label can support a factual comparison of form, amount and format. It cannot determine which product or dose a person needs.
Compare named B12 form without inferring superiority
The label can support a factual comparison of form, amount and format. It cannot determine which product or dose a person needs.
Named B12 form
01Compare: Record cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin or another specifically named B12 form where stated.
Why it matters: Form marketing often implies a hierarchy the product label alone cannot establish.
Evidence check: Use the exact ingredients list and mark an unstated form as unknown.
Micrograms per stated portion
02Compare: Compare the labelled B12 amount and portion definition on the same unit basis.
Why it matters: Per-drop, per-tablet and stated daily portions can differ.
Evidence check: Write amount, unit, units-per-portion and direction together.
Tablet, spray, liquid or blend
03Compare: Compare format, carrier ingredients, sweeteners, allergens and other nutrients.
Why it matters: A multinutrient blend is not a like-for-like substitute for a single-ingredient product.
Evidence check: Choose the format and formula type before comparing price.
Claim wording and conditions
04Compare: Keep any nutrition or health claim attached to the exact authorised wording and conditions.
Why it matters: A register entry does not show that every product meets the condition or that an individual will benefit.
Evidence check: Check the official register against the current labelled amount.
Three checks before checkout
Enough detail to make the choice better informed and clearer, without turning a quick buying decision into a compliance manual.
- 1 Compare the named B12 form where stated, units, format, ingredients and applicable authorised wording.
- 2 Match the exact flavour, variant, pack and formula rather than a similar marketplace image.
- 3 Use the current physical label for ingredients, allergens, warnings and stated serving information.
Take the next useful step
Continue to the closest practical comparison or official source.
Why these checks matter in the UK
Compare the food label, ingredients, amount per stated serving, warnings and allergens; do not use the page as medical advice.
Food supplements are regulated as foods rather than medicines.
Great Britain · current
Treat a claim as a constrained label statement, not proof that the product will deliver the outcome for a particular person.
Nutrition and health claims used in Great Britain need an authorised basis and must meet the exact conditions of use.
Great Britain · current
Check the market named on the label and use the matching official source rather than assuming one UK-wide claims register.
Some food-supplement and claims rules differ between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain, Northern Ireland · current
Sources and review boundaries
- Department of Health and Social Care: Food supplements guidance — reviewed 2026-08-03; Food-supplement rules differ between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in some areas.
- Department of Health and Social Care: Great Britain nutrition and health claims register — reviewed 2026-08-03; A listed claim remains subject to its exact conditions of use and the product label.