Vitafoods 2025 Adulteration Panel Discussion, Left to right: Dr. Julia Lee Xiaoyun, Chief Commercial Officer, Natural Trace; Nicolas Carbonnelle, Partner, Bird & Bird LLP; David Pineda Ereno, Managing Director, DPE International Consulting; Kenn Israel, Co-Founding Partner, BeyondBrands; Radhika Sikharia (Moderator), Content Producer, Informa Markets, photo credit Vitafoods Europe.

Why high-integrity Supplement Brands are looking deeper into Traceability

It starts as a premium-looking product, nice label, strong claims, clean certifications. But when one of the most respected brands in the supplement space recently ran routine testing on their raw materials, the results didn’t match what they expected. The label said Panax ginseng, the lab detected something else entirely and this wasn’t an isolated case.

At Vitafoods Europe, our team sat down with ingredient suppliers, brand managers, contract manufacturers and compliance leads during a panel on adulteration and what we heard was eye-opening.

Adulteration doesn’t just happen “somewhere else.” It’s not just a problem in high-risk categories or mass-market brands. It’s happening quietly and subtly, even in premium formulations and most of the time, it’s unintentional. Until it isn’t.

What’s emerging in Supplement Supply Chains 

In the last six months, we’ve seen a pattern:

• Mismatch between what’s ordered and what’s received – especially for botanicals, powders, and extracts
• Paperwork that seems complete – but doesn’t always tell the whole story
• Products cleared through customs – only to be flagged later for quality or compliance issues

The May 2025 Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions listed 19 suspected cases in the category of Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods, the highest number reported in any category that month. The majority of detections, 88 out of a total 129, are occurring at border control which is too late for producers to act and prevent fraud in their supply chains.

This isn’t about fraud rings or dramatic busts, it’s often about gaps in visibility along the supply chain. And those gaps can affect even the most well-intentioned producers.

But here’s the Good News: You can lead the change 

This moment in the supplement industry isn’t just about problems, it’s about new possibilities. At Vitafoods, we saw a clear shift in mindset. Brands and suppliers aren’t just asking “how can we catch issues before they escalate?” They’re asking:

“How can we build a system that proves our integrity, before anyone even questions it?”

And that’s a powerful place to be.

As Julia, our Chief Commercial Officer at Natural Trace, shared during the Adulteration discussion panel: “We talk a lot about trust in this industry. But in today’s landscape, it’s the ability to prove what’s in your product and where it came from that truly builds trust.”

So how do you prove it? 

It’s not about testing more, it’s about testing smarter. And it’s not about overhauling your supply chain overnight. It’s about building traceability into the ingredients themselves.

Here’s what some of the most forward-thinking suppliers and brands are doing:

✅ Tagging Ingredients at the Source

Using a tracer ingredient like NaturalTag™, ingredients can be safely traced with an edible, invisible identifier that travels through the entire supply chain. It’s like a unique bio-barcode that says, “I am what I claim to be.”

✅ Enhancing What You Already Have

Rather than replacing existing systems, platforms like NaturalCloud™ are designed to work alongside your current processes – adding a layer of ingredient-level validation and visibility. By integrating seamlessly with documentation and quality systems already in place, it gives procurement teams, quality leads, and brand partners an extra level of assurance through real-time, batch-specific traceability.

✅ Sharing the Proof – Not Just the Claim

More companies are using built-in authentication to stand out to brand partners, retailers, and even consumers. When you can prove your turmeric is real, your ashwagandha is authentic, and your high value proteins didn’t change hands five times, it becomes a commercial advantage, not just a compliance tick-box.

A small step that makes a big difference 

For supplement brands navigating fragmented supply chains and increasing scrutiny, the path to authenticity does not have to be complex. Integrating traceability at the ingredient level is a small step that can plug unseen gaps, protect against fraud, and prevent the kind of revenue leakage that often goes unnoticed.

It is worth asking: Are you confident that what you are earning truly reflects your rightful revenue?

With the right tools in place, that small step can make a big difference in building trust, improving transparency, and protecting your bottom line.