Sell supplements online in the UK: what you may claim, and how to sell on repeat
Supplements are food in UK law: register with your council 28 days before you sell, label them as the 2003 Regulations say and use only the claims on the GB register. Then set up a subscription that delivers every month. Checked 9 November 2026.
This guide is for anyone selling supplements online in the UK, from a first product to an established brand. By the end you will know which claims you may legally make, what registration and labelling apply, and how to turn one purchase into a monthly order. Disclosure: we build Orbit Commerce, a UK ecommerce platform, which appears in the set-up section and at the end. Every rule below was read at its source on 9 November 2026 and is linked, but this is general information, not legal advice: talk to your local authority’s trading standards team or a regulatory consultant before you print a label.
In short
- Supplements are food, not medicines. Register as a food business with your local authority at least 28 days before trading, even if you only sell online.
- The label must say “food supplement”, give the daily dose with a warning not to exceed it, say it is no substitute for a varied diet, and say keep out of reach of young children.
- Use only health claims authorised on the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register, and never a claim to prevent, treat or cure disease.
- CBD is a novel food with no authorised extract as at 9 November 2026, so no new CBD product may go on sale.
- Supplements are standard-rated for VAT at 20%. Repeat business runs on a subscription that charges the saved card and creates a delivery order each renewal.
Are supplements food or medicine in UK law?
Food, in the ordinary case. The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 define a food supplement as “any food the purpose of which is to supplement the normal diet”, a concentrated source of a vitamin, mineral or other substance with a nutritional or physiological effect, sold in dose form (regulation 2). The Food Standards Agency’s guidance says the same: supplements are regulated as food, and “They are not medicinal products” (Food supplements guidance on gov.uk). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own 2003 Regulations with the same content.
You must register as a food business with your local authority at least 28 days before trading, which gov.uk says “also applies if you only sell food or drink online” (Register a food business); our guide to selling food online in the UK covers registration and the inspection.
The MHRA draws the line into medicine by what you say as much as by what is in the capsule. A product is medicinal if it is “presented as having properties of preventing or treating disease in human beings”, or works by pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action, and “disease” includes “any injury, ailment or adverse condition, whether of body or mind”. If in doubt, ask for an opinion through the MHRA’s Medicines Borderline Advice Form before launch (Borderline products: how to tell if your product is a medicine, updated 2 July 2026).
What must be on a supplement label?
Regulation 6 adds the supplement-specific particulars to the general food labelling rules. The product must be sold under the name “food supplement” and the label must carry:
- the category of vitamin, mineral or other substance that characterises the product;
- the portion recommended for daily consumption;
- a warning not to exceed the stated recommended daily dose;
- a statement that food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied diet;
- a statement that the product should be stored out of the reach of young children;
- the amount of each active substance per daily portion, as an average from the manufacturer’s analysis, and for listed vitamins and minerals as a percentage of the reference value.
Regulation 6(4) bans stating or implying “that a balanced and varied diet cannot provide appropriate quantities of nutrients in general” (regulation 6). Regulation 5 limits the vitamins and minerals you may use to those in Schedule 1 of the Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, in the forms in Schedule 2, and sets no maximum doses: a safe dose is your responsibility as the food business. The general rules then apply as to any prepacked food: name, ingredients list with allergens emphasised, net quantity, best before or use by date, storage conditions, lot number and the business name and address (Food labelling: what you must show).
Which health claims can a supplement make?
Only claims authorised on the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register may be used in England, Scotland and Wales; the register lists every authorised and rejected claim and was last updated on 19 May 2026 (GB nutrition and health claims register, read 9 November 2026). Each claim comes with a condition, usually that the product is at least a “source of” the nutrient.
From the register: “Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system” and “Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue” are authorised, while “Dietary Fiber helps boost your body’s natural immunity” and a run of “strengthen the immune system” claims are marked non-authorised. Wording is the test: the compliance guidance allows “wording that means the same to the consumer”, and the ASA has said “supports the normal function of X” cannot become “improves X” (guidance to compliance; ASA advice on health claims in supplement ads, 11 January 2024).
| What you want to say | Allowed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system” | Yes, if the product is a source of vitamin D | Authorised on the GB register, used with its condition |
| “Boosts your immunity” | Not in those words | The authorised claim is about normal function, and the ASA says “supports the normal function of X” cannot become “improves X”; “boost your body’s natural immunity” wording is listed as non-authorised |
| “Prevents colds” or “treats joint pain” | No | A claim to prevent, treat or cure disease is medicinal: banned for food, and it can make the product a medicine |
The CAP Code adds that a general claim such as “healthy” or “superfood” may only be used beside a specific authorised claim (rule 15.2). A health claim may not rest on an individual health professional’s recommendation (15.6.3). The Code also says “Individuals should not be encouraged to swap a healthy diet for supplementation” (15.8). A health claim on the pack must also be accompanied by a statement on the importance of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, and the quantity and pattern of consumption needed (CAP Code section 15).
What is a novel food, and can you sell CBD?
A novel food is one not eaten to a significant degree in the UK or EU before 15 May 1997, and it needs authorisation before it can be sold in Great Britain. Check the Register of Novel Foods Authorisations and, for supplements, the BELFRIT list before adding an unusual ingredient; if unsure, the FSA expects a formal consultation request (Novel foods authorisation guidance).
CBD extracts, isolates and products containing them have been novel foods since January 2019, and as at the FSA guidance updated on 28 August 2026, “There are currently no CBD extracts or isolates that have been authorised as novel foods”. Products on a public list for England and Wales, linked to applications received by 31 March 2021, may stay on sale while the application is pending. Anything else should not have gone on sale since 13 February 2020, and products not on the list “must be withdrawn from the market”. The FSA’s consumer advice is a maximum of 10 mg of CBD a day, and it does not recommend CBD for under-18s, people on medication, people trying to conceive, or anyone pregnant or breastfeeding (Cannabidiol (CBD) guidance, read 9 November 2026).
Advertising, influencers and before-and-after photos
The CAP Code treats a supplement as food, so every claim rule above applies to Instagram captions, and the ASA has ruled against testimonials in supplement ads saying “I don’t get sick” and “decreased my anxiety”: a customer’s words in your ad are your claim. Reviews on your own site need the same care, because the MHRA counts customer reviews among the ways a product is presented, so moderate them before they show.
If you pay or gift an influencer, or give them a code or an affiliate link, the post is an ad and needs “a prominent ‘ad’ label upfront”. “Sponsored”, “Gifted” and a line in the bio are not enough, and a discount code “of itself is insufficient” (CAP advice on social media and influencer marketing, 6 August 2026). Before-and-after photos are treated like testimonials, so you need evidence they are genuine. Even then “the visual claims implied by the before and after photos may render them problematic”, because claims about a rate or amount of weight loss are banned for food supplements outright. The ASA has ruled against “LOSE 15-20% OF BODY WEIGHT” (CAP advice on weight control and food supplements, 8 May 2026).
What it costs to start, and the money per tub
Most own-label brands start with a UK contract manufacturer, so get the minimum run, unit price and lead time in writing before you pay a deposit. The FSA tells you to use a registered supplier with fully referenced invoices and to keep records of suppliers and customers. Ask for a certificate of analysis for each batch and file it with the batch number, and talk to a broker about product liability cover before the first order ships. Our guide to what an online shop costs in the UK covers the rest, and magnesium glycinate made our list of trending products in the UK this year.
Most food is zero-rated, but VAT Notice 701/14 says “Dietary supplements of a kind not normally purchased and used as food are standard-rated”, and standard-rates herbal capsules, sports nutrition powders marketed to improve performance, and creatine (VAT Notice 701/14, updated 8 June 2026). Once your taxable turnover passes the registration threshold, £90,000 in any rolling 12 months when we checked on 9 November 2026 (gov.uk, when to register for VAT), VAT at 20% comes out of every sale, so price with it in from day one. UK VAT for online sellers explains the rolling test.
| A £24 tub, posted in the UK | Before VAT registration | After VAT registration |
|---|---|---|
| Price paid by the customer | £24.00 | £24.00 |
| VAT at 20% handed to HMRC | £0.00 | £4.00 |
| Card fee on Orbit’s Solo plan (2% + 25p) | £0.73 | £0.73 |
| Left for the product, postage, packaging and you | £23.27 | £19.27 |
How do you sell supplements on repeat?
A subscription that delivers. On Orbit, Subscription is one of six product types. Give it plans, weekly to yearly with a “repeat every” count, so monthly and quarterly plans sit side by side. Mark the product as one that ships, and each renewal charges the saved card and creates an order in your Orders list with its delivery. Switch on the upcoming-renewal reminder with a days-before value and the customer is emailed before each charge (the law is in our subscription rules post). Customers pause, resume, cancel and change quantity or plan from their account, each with its own email. The first tub is paid at checkout like any order, and because a subscription is its own product type, the one-off tub and the subscription are two listings, each priced as you choose (subscriptions, the subscriptions guide, and the same set-up for a pet food shop).
Stacks as bundles. A “morning stack” is a bundle: up to 30 physical component products, its own page and price, and availability worked out from the component that would run out first. Bundles are switched on for a shop on request (products).
Doses and forms as custom fields. Give buyers facts as data: dose per serving as a number, the form as a pick-one list so the spelling never drifts, a yes-or-no for vegan, and a file field holding the batch certificate. Each field has a storefront switch, and a Custom Field element in the page builder puts it on the product page (the custom fields guide).
Reviews, points and the first ten orders. Product Reviews is a free plugin: stars, an optional title and text, and every review Pending until you approve it (reviews). Loyalty Points, an add-on from the plugin store, gives signed-in customers points per £1 on orders paid at checkout, spent on reward products. Before the first ten orders ship, give your delivery method handling days and an order-by cut-off so checkout shows a delivery date, and switch on the renewal reminder.
Where Orbit fits
Every Orbit plan, Solo at £25 a month (£19 a month billed yearly, ex VAT) included, has the six product types, bundles on request, custom fields, shipping classes and delivery estimates, gift cards, the one abandoned-cart reminder and the VAT invoice a registered shop emails when payment is captured (plans). Product Reviews is a free plugin; Loyalty Points and the Google Shopping and Amazon plugins are add-ons from the plugin store, priced on their own pages, and the Amazon and eBay plugins have a free tier (marketplaces and feeds). Cards run through Orbit Payments at one published card rate per plan with nothing added on top, 2% + 25p for a UK personal Visa or Mastercard on Solo. For the look, the Vital theme in the theme store is designed for supplements and wellness brands. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial and no card.
Read next: selling cosmetics and skincare online, selling to Ireland and the EU in euros and whether a small shop needs a loyalty scheme.
Questions people ask about selling supplements online in the UK
Do I need a licence to sell supplements online in the UK?
No licence, but you must register as a food business with your local authority at least 28 days before trading, even if you only sell online. Supplements are food in UK law, so food labelling and health claims law applies.
Can I say my supplement boosts immunity?
Not in those words. The authorised claim is “Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system”, on a product that is a source of vitamin D, and the ASA has said “supports the normal function of X” cannot become “improves X”. The register marks “boost your body’s natural immunity” wording as non-authorised.
Can I sell CBD supplements online in the UK?
In England and Wales, only a product already on the FSA’s public list of CBD products linked to a novel food application, and only while that application is pending. As at 9 November 2026 no CBD extract or isolate has been authorised, and no new CBD products should have gone on sale since 13 February 2020. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Is VAT charged on supplements in the UK?
Yes, at the standard rate of 20%. VAT Notice 701/14 says dietary supplements of a kind not normally bought and used as food are standard-rated, including vitamin and mineral supplements of all kinds. You charge it once your taxable turnover passes the registration threshold, £90,000 in any rolling 12 months when we checked on 9 November 2026.
Can customers subscribe to a supplement and get a delivery every month?
On Orbit, yes. Set it up as a Subscription product with a monthly plan, mark it as one that ships, and each renewal charges the saved card and creates an order with its delivery in your Orders list. Customers pause, resume, cancel and change quantity from their account, and the first tub is paid at checkout like any order.
Start with the register and the label, because they decide what you may say, then build the shop around the second order. The 14-day free trial, no card required, is long enough to set up a tub and a monthly plan.