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Quality, Labels & Identity

How to judge a natural ingredient product: identity, purity, contamination, labels and certifications, with real examples from honey, spirulina and seaweed. Certification does not prove a benefit.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.

Identity first

Check the Latin name and source. "Sea moss" and "spirulina" are market names that cover different organisms, [1] and labels do not always show which. For honey, check whether a product is food honey or a regulated wound dressing; the evidence for dressings does not apply to jar honey. [2]

Supplements and labels

Companies must label accurately and avoid contaminants, but the rules are less strict than for drugs, and the FDA generally does not review supplements before sale. [3] What is on the label may not be what is in the product. [3]

Examples of real problems

  • Spirulina: 86.7% of elemental-content declarations were inappropriate in one market study. [4]
  • Kelp and iodine supplements: amounts can be thousands of times the Tolerable Upper Limit. [5]

Certifications and terms

USDA organic describes production and handling. [6] FDA has no regulations defining "natural" or "organic" for cosmetics. [7] We did not verify any private certification program and do not rank brands.

Purity and testing cannot prove a benefit

A lab report shows what is in a batch. It does not show that a product helps or is safe for you. Laboratory activity against bacteria in a dish does not mean a product treats infections in people. [8]

Storage

We do not give shelf-life numbers, because we have not verified them.

References

  1. GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Names checked 2026-10-22 through the GBIF species match service.
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 510(k) summary and clearance letter K150985, Medihoney Wound Gel. 2015.
  3. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Page last updated January 2019.
  4. Masten Rutar J, et al. Nutritional Quality and Safety of the Spirulina Dietary Supplements Sold on the Slovenian Market. Foods. 2022;11(6):849. PubMed 35327271.
  5. American Thyroid Association. ATA Statement on the Potential Risks of Excess Iodine Ingestion and Exposure.
  6. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Organic Regulations. The National Organic Program develops rules for production, handling, labeling and enforcement of USDA organic products.
  7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Aromatherapy. Content current as of September 8, 2023. (States that FDA has no regulations defining "natural" or "organic" for cosmetics.)
  8. Jull AB, Cullum N, Dumville JC, Westby MJ, Deshpande S, Walker N. Honey as a topical treatment for wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(3):CD005083. PubMed 25742878. Several authors were investigators in an included trial that received a small contribution from a honey dressing manufacturer (disclosed in the review).
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.