Supplement and vitamin packaging: cartons, pouches and the label panel
Capsules and tablets usually come in a bottle from your bottle supplier, so the packaging work is the carton around it and the label on it: Tria's supplement carton runs on 18pt SBS from 200 units in 10 to 14 business days, and bottle labels from 200 units in 5 to 7 business days. Powders and gummies go in a foil laminate supplement pouch with a zipper, also from 200 units. Plan the Supplement Facts panel, the identity statement and any iron warning before you choose a size, because the required copy decides how big the panel has to be.
A note on scope. We make cartons, pouches, sachets and labels. We do not make bottles, jars, closures or the plastic part of a blister pack, so the bottle and cap come from your container supplier and we size the carton and label to them. Send us the bottle, or its drawing, before you approve a size.
Pick the format by the product
| Product | Tria format | Board or film | Minimum and lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capsules or tablets in a bottle | Supplement carton plus a bottle label | 18pt SBS; 20pt for glass over 4 ounces | 200 units, 10 to 14 business days |
| Protein, collagen, greens and electrolyte powders | Supplement pouch, flat bottom from 1 pound up | Foil laminate with zipper and tear notch | 200 units, 10 to 14 business days |
| Gummies | Supplement pouch, or the gummy pouch | Foil laminate, or matte barrier laminate | 200 units, or 500 units in 8 to 10 business days |
| Single-dose trial packs | Sample sachet | Three side seal barrier film | 200 units, 10 to 12 business days |
| Label for a bottle you already carton | Bottle label | Matte art paper | 200 units, 5 to 7 business days |
Our opinion on cartons: a capsule bottle on a shelf without a carton has one curved label to carry everything. A carton gives you four flat panels, so the Supplement Facts, directions, disclaimer and warnings fit at a legible size, and it protects a glass bottle inside a mailer. The 18pt SBS supplement carton covers 60 to 120 count bottles in sizes from 2 by 2 by 3.5 to 3 by 3 by 5.5 inches. If a retailer wants a tamper-evident outer pack on top of the bottle seal, the seal end carton does that.
On labels, our bottle labels print on matte art paper. We do not offer BOPP or polyester film labels. For a dry capsule bottle that is a fine stock; for a product that will sit in a damp bathroom or a fridge, tell us and we will talk through lamination or a different format before you commit.
What the label has to carry
This is packaging guidance, not legal advice. FDA sets the label content for dietary supplements, and the wording is yours and your regulatory adviser's. What we do is reserve the space on the dieline so nothing gets squeezed. The elements to plan for:
| Element | Where it goes | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Statement of identity, including the words "dietary supplement" or a defined variant | Principal display panel | 21 CFR 101.3(g) |
| Net quantity of contents | Bottom 30 percent of the principal display panel | 21 CFR 101.105 |
| Supplement Facts panel | Information panel, usually the back | 21 CFR 101.36 |
| Other ingredients, and the allergen statement where required | Next to or below the Supplement Facts panel | 21 CFR 101.4; FALCPA |
| Name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor | Information panel | 21 CFR 101.5 |
| Disclaimer, when the label makes a structure or function claim | Linked to the claim by an asterisk, in bold type at least 1/16 inch tall | 21 CFR 101.93 |
| Iron overdose warning, for iron supplements in solid oral dosage form | Information panel, boxed by hairlines | 21 CFR 101.17(e) |
The disclaimer is the one that most often gets designed too small. It reads "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." and it has to be in bold type at least one sixteenth of an inch tall. Lay it out at real size on the proof before you sign off the panel width.
Iron: the warning and the closure
Iron supplements carry two separate rules, and they are easy to mix up.
The warning comes from FDA. Any dietary supplement in solid oral dosage form, such as a tablet or capsule, that contains iron or iron salts for use as an iron source must carry this exact statement: "WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately." It goes on the information panel of the bottle label, set off in a box by hairlines, and when the bottle sits in a carton, the carton has to carry it too (21 CFR 101.17(e)).
The closure comes from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A supplement containing the equivalent of 250 mg or more of elemental iron in a single package, at or above the concentrations set in the rule, must be in child-resistant special packaging (16 CFR 1700.14(a)(13), with performance standards in 16 CFR 1700.15). On a bottle, that is the cap from your bottle supplier. On a pouch, it means a tested child-resistant zipper such as the one on our child resistant mylar bag. A carton around a bottle does not make the bottle child resistant.
Barrier for powders and gummies
Powders clump when they take on moisture, and some vitamins degrade with oxygen and light. The supplement pouch is built on a foil laminate for that reason, and it is the strongest barrier we run. A clear window looks good but weakens the barrier and lets light in, so we steer supplement brands away from windows on anything light sensitive. For 1 pound and up, choose the flat bottom style so the bag stands square when it is half empty.
An illustrative spec
Illustrative spec, not a client order. A brand launching a 60 count magnesium capsule in a 150 cc white packer bottle: supplement carton at 2.25 by 2.25 by 4 inches on 18pt SBS, gloss aqueous, straight tuck ends, Supplement Facts and the disclaimer on the back panel, directions and the name and place of business on a side panel, and a matching 2 by 4.5 inch matte art paper bottle label. 500 of each. The cartons take 10 to 14 business days after proof and the labels 5 to 7, so the labels are not the long pole.
Sources
- FDA, Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide
- 21 CFR 101.36, Supplement Facts panel (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 101.93, structure and function claims and the disclaimer (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 101.17(e), iron warning statement (eCFR)
- 16 CFR 1700.14(a)(13), iron supplements requiring special packaging (eCFR)
Rules checked against these sources on October 5, 2026. Regulations change; check the current text before you print.
Questions people ask
Should my supplement go in a carton or a pouch?
Capsules and tablets in a bottle usually go in a supplement carton, which adds panel space and protects the bottle. Powders and gummies sold by weight go in a supplement pouch with a resealable zipper. A pouch reseals and ships flat; a carton around a bottle suits a product opened every day for a month, because a cap outlasts a zipper.
Do iron supplements need child-resistant packaging?
If a single package holds the equivalent of 250 mg or more of elemental iron and meets the concentration thresholds in 16 CFR 1700.14(a)(13), it needs child-resistant special packaging. Iron supplements in solid oral dosage form also need FDA's accidental overdose warning in a hairline box under 21 CFR 101.17(e), on the bottle and on the carton.
How big does the supplement disclaimer have to be?
When the label makes a structure or function claim, the disclaimer must appear in bold type at least one sixteenth of an inch tall and be linked to the claim, under 21 CFR 101.93. Check it at real size on the proof before you approve the panel.
Can the carton replace the bottle label?
No. The bottle is the immediate container and still needs its own label with the required statements. The carton repeats them for the shelf. Our supplement cartons and bottle labels can be ordered together so the artwork matches.
Do you make the bottles or jars?
No. We make cartons, pouches, sachets and labels. The bottle and closure come from your container supplier, and we size the carton and label to that exact bottle.
What is the minimum for supplement cartons and pouches?
The supplement carton and the supplement pouch both start at 200 units, in 10 to 14 business days after proof. Bottle labels start at 200 units in 5 to 7 business days. The gummy pouch starts at 500 units.