Do I always need to declare the salt type on the label?

No. EU law requires you to declare only the elemental or bioactive nutrient content. The salt form may be shown in the ingredient list but is not mandatory in the supplement facts panel.

Can I calculate elemental values using molar mass?

Yes. For simple inorganic salts like calcium carbonate, molar mass is a reliable method. For more complex organic salts or chelates, it's better to use supplier specs or lab-tested values.

Is it legal to label 300 mg magnesium citrate as '300 mg magnesium'?

No. That would be misleading and non-compliant. You must declare the actual amount of elemental magnesium, not the salt weight.

Are vitamin salt forms also regulated?

Yes. Only specific chemical forms of vitamins and minerals are authorized under EU law. These are listed in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006.

Can BF‑Esse help with salt-to-element conversion and compliance?

Yes. BF‑Esse assists clients with dosage conversions, legal salt form selection, and full label reviews to ensure compliance with EU supplement regulations.

Company

Not All Salts Are Equal: Understanding Chemical Forms of Vitamins and Minerals in the EU

The Labeling Problem
In the world of food supplements, numbers can be misleading — especially when it comes to vitamin and mineral salts.
Labeling a product with the weight of a chemical salt instead of the elemental (active) content it offers is a common error made throughout the EU market. Customers may believe that they are receiving 100 mg of magnesium, for instance, if a product is labeled "100 mg magnesium citrate," when in fact, it may only contain 16–20 mg of absorbable elemental magnesium.
This confusion doesn’t just affect consumers — it violates EU law.

What the Law Requires
According to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, the declared amount must refer to the vitamin or mineral itself, not the total weight of the salt or compound used.
This means

You must declare the elemental form (e.g., magnesium, iron, vitamin C)
You must not use only the weight of the salt (e.g., magnesium citrate, ferrous sulfate)
NRV (%) calculations must be based on elemental quantity

What Is a Chemical Salt?

A chemical salt in supplements is a compound formed when a vitamin or mineral binds to another molecule — such as an acid or amino acid. This binding doesn’t just happen in the lab: it’s essential for stability, solubility, and shelf-life.

Why Do We Use Salts?

Most elemental forms of minerals and vitamins do not exist in nature in pure, isolated form — or they are chemically unstable. For example:

Magnesium on its own is reactive and cannot be consumed as-is
Vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid is often stabilized as sodium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate
These salts make the nutrient stable, absorbable, and manufacturable—but also introduce confusion when labeling dosage.

Salt Weight vs. Active Ingredient

Let’s say your product contains 400 mg of magnesium citrate. That doesn’t mean it provides 400 mg of magnesium. In fact, it provides about 64 mg of actual, elemental magnesium.

Under EU Regulation 1169/2011, you must label only the active ingredient content — the elemental dose — not the salt mass.

Labeling Examples

Here are three compliant ways to present magnesium dosage:

Magnesium – 64 mg

Clean and direct. This is the preferred format for front-of-pack (FOP) and NRV declarations.

400 mg magnesium citrate (providing 64 mg magnesium)

Common in premium or science-backed products where salt form is relevant.

Magnesium (from magnesium citrate) – 64 mg

Often used in supplement facts panels in English-speaking markets.
In all cases, the 64 mg refers to the elemental magnesium — the only value that counts legally.
More about labeling you can find out here.

Multi-Salt Formulations

If your product uses multiple forms of a nutrient — such as:

Magnesium oxide
Magnesium citrate
Magnesium lactate
Magnesium L-threonate

You are still required to declare only the total elemental amount, not each form separately:
For Examlpe:
Magnesium – 200 mg
And in the ingredient list, you must show all contributing salts in descending order, for example:
Ingredients: Magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, magnesium L-threonate…
This keeps labeling accurate, legal, and readable while preserving scientific transparency.

Vitamins Are Also Delivered as Salts or Esters

Vitamins are no different. Many exist in stabilized forms for effectiveness and shelf-life.

Vitamin	Common Form (Salt/Ester)	Notes
B1	Thiamine mononitrate / HCl	Used for tablet stability
B2	Riboflavin / riboflavin-5′-phosphate	Some forms more bioavailable
B6	Pyridoxine HCl / pyridoxal phosphate	Functional differences
Vitamin A	Retinyl acetate / palmitate	Fat-soluble, esterified forms
Vitamin D	Cholecalciferol (D3) / ergocalciferol (D2)	IU-to-microgram conversion needed
Vitamin E	DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate	Often stabilized as an ester
Vitamin K	K1 (phylloquinone), K2 (menaquinone-7)	Legal limits vary by country

Each vitamin’s form affects stability, potency, and legal status. For example, vitamin A palmitate is used in fortification, while natural retinol is highly unstable and rarely used alone.

In summary, you are nearly always dealing with a salt rather than a pure element when dealing with magnesium, zinc, calcium, or vitamin B6. However, for labeling and NRV calculations, only the active ingredient—the vitamin or mineral—counts.

Common EU-Approved Forms of Vitamins and Elements

Nutrient	Approved Chemical Forms
Calcium	Calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate
Iron	Ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous fumarate, iron bisglycinate
Magnesium	Magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium lactate
Zinc	Zinc gluconate, zinc citrate, zinc sulfate, zinc bisglycinate
Vitamin B1	Thiamine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate
Vitamin B6	Pyridoxine hydrochloride, pyridoxal 5’-phosphate
Vitamin C	L-ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate
Vitamin D3	Cholecalciferol (D3), ergocalciferol (D2)
Vitamin E	DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, DL-alpha-tocopheryl succinate
Folic Acid	Pteroylmonoglutamic acid, calcium-L-methylfolate (under novel food conditions)
Vitamin K	Phylloquinone (K1), menaquinone-7 (K2)

These forms are reviewed based on:

Safety and toxicology
Stability in formulation
Absorption/bioavailability
Historical food use in the EU

Allowed Chemical Forms in the EU

Not every vitamin or mineral form is legal to use in food supplements — and not every salt is equal. The European Union strictly regulates which chemical forms of nutrients may be added to foods and supplements.
Legal Basis:The full list is found in:
Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 (updated regularly)
View the current version in EUR-Lex
Only substances listed in this Annex — and those authorized under Regulation (EU) No 1170/2009 — may be used in legally sold products.

Not on the List? Not Legal

Any nutrient not listed in these annexes must be:

Evaluated as a novel food, or
Approved through a formal additive authorization (complex and time-consuming)

That’s why even if a new magnesium chelate is “popular,” it may still be non-compliant for EU sale unless registered.

About Novel food you can read here.
About the Bf-EssE experience in the application of the novel food dossie r her e.

How to Calculate the Active Amount

For inorganic compounds like calcium carbonate, you can calculate the elemental portion using molar mass:

Molar mass of CaCO₃ = 100.09 g/mol
Molar mass of calcium (Ca) = 40.08 g/mol

So:
40.08 ÷ 100.09 ≈ 0.40
→ Calcium carbonate is ~40% calcium by mass
Thus:
1000 mg CaCO₃ = 400 mg calcium
This approach works best with simple, non-organic salts. Organic or complex chelates (e.g., bisglycinate) require verified supplier specs or lab analysis.

When labeling food supplements in the EU, you must declare the active (elemental or bioavailable) content, not the total weight of the compound or salt. That means doing a simple conversion based on the known percentage of active nutrient in the salt.
The Formula: Salt weight × conversion factor = elemental content
Example 1: Magnesium Citrate 1000 mg

Elemental magnesium = ~16%
1000 × 0.16 = 160 mg magnesium

If you use 400 mg of the salt:
400 × 0.16 = 64 mg magnesium (declared).

Example 2: Vitamin D3 Acetate
Vitamin D3 is measured in international units (IU) or micrograms (µg).

1 µg = 40 IU
So, 10 µg = 400 IU (common dose)

But you must ensure this is pure cholecalciferol (not including stabilizer or carrier).

Core reasons this knowledge is essential

Dosing accuracy — avoid overdoses or under-delivery of nutrients
Cost-efficiency — optimize formulations without wasting expensive salts
Platform compliance — major online retailers often reject mislabeled products
Regulatory safety — stay within allowed national or EU maximums
White-label consistency — prevent formula drift and client confusion
More about White lable and Private lable you can read here

Services from BF‑EssE

Contact BF‑EssE’s team for tailored support.

BF‑Esse calculates exact equivalence and regulatory-safe dosage and prepares compliant formulas for private-label clients.

Dosage conversion
Legal, bioavailable salt selection
Label compliance check
Assistance in NRV accuracy

Final Thoughts

In EU food supplement formulation, what you use is just as important as how you declare it. Choosing the right chemical salt is step one — but calculating the correct elemental value and labeling it properly is what keeps your product legal, trusted, and saleable across Europe.
Mislabeling a mineral or overstating a vitamin dose isn't just a technical mistake — it's a regulatory risk and a marketing liability.
Formulate smart. Declare transparently. Comply fully.

Don’t guess. Formulate smartly.
Partner with BF‑EssE

Frequently Asked Questions on EU Dosage Limits for Food Supplements

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. While BF‑Esse strives to maintain accuracy based on current EU legislation, regulations may change and vary by member state.
Always consult with your national food authority, legal advisors, or a qualified regulatory consultant before placing any product on the market.