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At Gráficas Alarcón, we provide supplement label printing for brands operating in demanding sectors such as sports nutrition, health and functional foods, where technical precision, safety and brand presentation are essential.
It is not simply about visual design, but about bringing regulatory requirements, functionality and brand positioning together in one essential element. We approach every project strategically, taking regulated environments and automated production processes into account to help you prevent errors, optimise production and build consumer trust from the very first interaction with the product.
Dietary supplement labeling has a direct impact on product safety, regulatory compliance and competitiveness. In regulated sectors, a label does more than communicate information: it demonstrates compliance.
Poor execution can lead to regulatory issues or a loss of consumer trust. Well-designed supplement labels, on the other hand, convey reliability and help support purchasing decisions at the point of sale, where clarity and visual impact are key.
One detail that many brands are unaware of when they come to us with their first label design is that, in Spain, the legal designation for the product is “food supplement”, rather than “dietary supplement”, even though the latter is widely used colloquially and is a common search term within the sector.
This designation is not a matter of style. Directive 2002/46/EC, which regulates these products at European level, and Royal Decree 1487/2009, which transposes the Directive into Spanish law, establish “food supplement” as the legal term to be used on labels. “Dietary supplement”, by contrast, is commonly used by international brands and in commercial language, but its use on the final labelling of a product sold in Spain may not comply with current regulatory requirements.
Consult the AESAN Food Supplements Guide to learn more about the regulations and food safety requirements.
Checking this detail during prepress, before the production run begins, helps prevent delays and issues once the packaging has already been printed. This is the type of check we carry out before approving a file for print.
One of the most common issues in dietary supplement labeling is a lack of clear information hierarchy. Ingredients, warnings and nutritional information need to be organised clearly, both to support regulatory compliance and to make the information easier for consumers to understand at the point of sale.
The choice of materials affects both the label’s regulatory compliance and its performance on automated labelling lines throughout the product’s shelf life.
Many food supplements come in formats that require specific label materials, such as omega-3 softgels or concentrated oils that may drip onto the label, as well as rigid containers for capsules or powders. In these cases, the packaging requires supplement labels made from grease-resistant materials that maintain their legibility and adhesion in the event of spills or drips.
For this reason, we work with technical substrates such as polypropylene, which is particularly resistant to oils and grease, combined with high-performance adhesives designed to maintain label legibility in the presence of moisture, friction and temperature changes throughout the packaging lifecycle.
We also use low-migration inks, which are essential for meeting the food safety requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.
For PET or HDPE packaging, both commonly used in this sector, the adhesive needs to allow clean separation from the plastic during industrial recycling without compromising the purity of the recovered material. This is one of the factors we consider when recommending the most suitable combination of substrate and adhesive for each project.
In competitive markets such as sports nutrition, visual presentation can make a real difference. Our supplement labels can incorporate finishes such as spot varnishes, laminates, embossing and foil stamping to enhance visual impact without compromising the label’s technical performance.
Regulatory compliance is equally important. At Gráficas Alarcón, we hold BRC Packaging certification, allowing our compliance documentation to be incorporated directly into our customers’ internal audit processes and helping streamline supplier approval.
Every food supplement label project includes low-migration inks, quality controls, validated processes and full traceability.
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We provide a comprehensive service for supplement labels, supporting our customers from design through to production. We review every file before printing to identify critical issues, such as the use of non-compliant terminology or unclear information hierarchies, and provide expert advice on selecting the most suitable materials for each packaging format.
We handle both short and medium print runs and higher-volume industrial production, integrating seamlessly with automated production lines while minimising operational issues.
The most common mistakes include incomplete information, poor information hierarchy, errors in the nutrition table and the use of terminology that does not comply with Spanish regulations, such as using “dietary supplement” instead of the legally recognised term “food supplement”.
No. The legal designation required in Spain is “food supplement”. Although “dietary supplement” is widely used in search queries and commercial language, its use on the final label of a product sold in Spain does not comply with current Spanish regulations.
It depends on the packaging format and the product. For oil-based supplements or softgel capsules, grease-resistant substrates such as polypropylene are recommended. For squeezable containers, more flexible materials can help prevent creasing and edge lifting.
Using the right materials and carrying out proper pre-production validation helps ensure that food supplement labels maintain their performance when exposed to moisture, friction and handling throughout the product’s shelf life.
If you are looking for a specialist supplement label supplier with expertise in regulatory requirements, materials and production, Gráficas Alarcón can help you.
Gráficas Alarcón
Ctra. Nacional III · Km 263,8
46300 Utiel · Valencia
