NPL Encourages South Africans to Verify the Reliability of Their Supplements by Checking Labels

Johannesburg – Nutritional Performance Labs (NPL) emphasizes the importance of consumers understanding exactly what they are purchasing, including the specific amounts of each active ingredient and whether the product’s claims align with its actual formulation.

The South African sports and performance supplements company is advocating for increased transparency within the local supplement industry: the front label should accurately reflect the back.

NPL also encourages consumers to look beyond marketing tactics and to become more confident in reading labels.

“Consumers are now much more knowledgeable about what they put into their bodies, yet supplement labels can still seem overwhelming,” said Stephen van den Berg, Executive Head at NPL, on Monday, 28 September 2026.

“We believe that individuals should not require specialized knowledge to understand the products they are considering.

“The ingredient, the dosage, and its intended purpose should be straightforward enough for customers to evaluate the product independently.”

Ingredient dosage is just as crucial as the ingredient itself

NPL pointed out that simply stating an ingredient’s name does not provide a complete picture.

“Two products might both claim to contain the same desirable ingredient while having significantly different dosages, making the serving size a key aspect of any comparison,” NPL clarified in a statement.

NPL advocates for the dosage of active ingredients to be easily visible, allowing buyers to know exactly what each serving contains.

The company promotes this approach as an open-label philosophy, focused on clear ingredient disclosure instead of ambiguous terms or complex formulations.

“There’s a significant distinction between merely stating an ingredient is included and providing consumers with enough information to determine its actual quantity,” Van den Berg explained.

“If a product places emphasis on a specific ingredient, the amount included should be readily accessible.”

This is particularly important in sports nutrition, where consumers compare products that offer creatine, amino acids, caffeine, electrolytes, vitamins, and other performance-enhancing substances.

Understanding your label

NPL asserts that greater transparency hinges upon improved consumer comprehension.

The “know your label” initiative encourages shoppers to pose essential questions: What are the active ingredients?

How much of each ingredient is present in a serving?

What is the size of that serving?

Do the quantities listed on the nutritional panel support the claims made?

A strong ingredient list carries little weight if the quantities associated with those ingredients do not align.

NPL aims for this level of scrutiny to be routine in the supplement purchasing process.

“People scrutinize prices down to the rand, but the per-serving content is equally crucial,” Van den Berg remarked.

“Once consumers focus on doses instead of simply tallying ingredients, they are better positioned to evaluate the product before them.”

The importance of accurate figures

For NPL, transparency equates to the ability to directly link a product’s claims to what is detailed on its label.

A trendy ingredient should not bear the marketing burden while leaving consumers uncertain about the amount actually included.

Additionally, buyers should not have to interpret unclear terminology to understand the formulation.

The company believes this level of clarity should be expected as a standard across the supplement industry.

Over the past decade, NPL has established itself in the South African performance nutrition market.

The company asserts that its current focus is on empowering consumers to be more discerning about the products they purchase and the claims they encounter.

“Trust should be something that a nutrition brand can earn,” stated Van den Berg.

“The label serves as a means to demonstrate that. Our responsibility is to ensure the information is clear, the dosages are disclosed, and the claims are substantiated by the product’s actual content.”

For consumers, this means less uncertainty and significantly more information to inform their purchasing decisions.