The Raw Truth: Excipients in Supplements Webinar

This webinar looks at food supplement excipients: what they are, why manufacturers use them (stability, manufacturing, appearance, dosing form), whether they're necessary, and what practitioners should watch for when recommending products. Hosted by Ella Kaur (Practitioner Lead, Registered Nutritionist and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) with guest speaker Shona Wilkinson, a Registered Nutritionist and Supplement Formulations Expert. It covers common excipient categories, practical label considerations and the safety and tolerability evidence, alongside our approach to minimising unnecessary additives.

Key Points Discussed

What excipients are and why they're used

Excipients are non-active ingredients. They are included to aid formulation, protect active compounds, ensure accurate dosing, improve stability and support manufacturing, not for therapeutic benefit.

Main excipient types and their functions

1. Stabilisers: Preserve physical and chemical stability and prevent degradation, especially for sensitive ingredients such as omega 3 and probiotics.
2. Fillers/diluents: Add bulk so small-dose nutrients can be made into usable tablets or capsules. They also affect how full a capsule is.
3. Anti-caking agents: Prevent powder clumping and improve manufacturability and consumer acceptability.
4. Flavouring and colouring agents: Improve taste and appearance to support compliance and branding.
5. Disintegrants: Help tablets break down in the gut.
6. Lubricants: Reduce friction in manufacturing (e.g., magnesium stearate).
7. Binders: Help powders hold together in tablet form.

Why excipients may matter for sensitive clients

1. A common concern is gastrointestinal effects (bloating, gas, diarrhoea), particularly from fibres and gums.
2. Allergens must be declared on labels in bold, but practitioners should still check suitability.

Safety research and regulatory context

• Many excipients are classed as GRAS (generally recognised as safe). However, 'safe' doesn't mean 'without any concerns'.
• The research reviewed covers concerns around:
• Artificial colourants and preservatives
• Non-caloric sweeteners and emulsifiers
• Stevia and aspartame
• Chitosan (with cancer-related mechanisms discussed)
• Polysorbate 80 and potassium sorbate
• Stearic acid's effects on immune cells
• Titanium dioxide (including regulatory action such as the EU ban)
• Practitioner duty of care

Excipient scrutiny is part of making quality supplement recommendations: consider not only what's inside a product, but also what's unnecessary or potentially problematic.

Practical risks to watch for

• Gastrointestinal side effects from certain excipients, especially fibres and gums.
• Consumer confusion around natural flavouring: manufacturers may not disclose flavour ingredients unless allergens are present.
• Potential controversies around certain additives, such as titanium dioxide, aspartame, polysorbate 80, potassium sorbate and magnesium stearate, along with research themes around sweeteners and emulsifiers.

Key Takeaways

1. Excipients are not therapeutic, but they can influence stability, tolerability and the client's experience, so they matter for recommendations.
2. Where possible, aim for 'dual-function' excipients: ingredients with health benefits that also fulfil a formulation role.
3. Label reading is essential. Scrutinise the ingredients list, especially the excipient categories and any potentially contentious additives.

Conclusion

This webinar concludes that excipients are often necessary for manufacturing and product performance, but practitioners shouldn't ignore them. Reading labels carefully, understanding excipient roles, and minimising unnecessary or potentially problematic additives all help practitioners support client safety, compliance and long-term trust in supplement recommendations.

This webinar is fully approved by BANT®  and accredited for CPD hours.