Lifestyle & Consumer Education · Reference Guide
Proprietary Blends Explained: Why Manufacturers Hide Milligrams
Published by Payarmin Clinical Editorial Board · Last Verified: October 16, 2026
Key Clinical Takeaways
- Proprietary blends are legally recognized under 21 CFR 101.36.
- Brands claim blends protect intellectual property from competitor duplication.
- Consumer transparency advocates note blends make verifying clinical dosing impossible.
- Evaluate blends by the total milligram size and the ordering of active constituents.
Table of Contents
The Legal Origin of Proprietary Blends
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, the FDA codified labeling regulations allowing supplement companies to declare proprietary blends. Under 21 CFR 101.36, a company must list the total weight of the blend and the individual ingredients contained within it, but is exempt from disclosing the exact milligram weight of each constituent.
The Industry Rationale: Protecting Formulation IP
From a manufacturer's perspective, developing a successful botanical formula requires months of formulation research, organoleptic testing, and stability trials. Companies argue that if they published exact milligram formulas, competitors could copy their recipes overnight without incurring development costs.
The Transparency Critique: What Consumers Lose
The critical drawback for consumers is the loss of quantitative verification. Without knowing whether Gymnema represents 180 mg or 2 mg of a 200 mg blend, consumers cannot cross-reference the dose against university clinical trials. On this official reference desk, we advocate for full disclosure while providing the exact facts printed on the current physical label.
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