Analytical Content of Multivitamin/Mineral (MVM) Products Manufactured for Different Consumer Categories

Abstract

Release 3 of the Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (http://dsid.usda.nih.gov) reports analytical estimates for ingredient content in MVM. Products obtained from national samplings of multiple lots of 109 adult, 64 children's and 71 prenatal MVM were chemically analyzed. Based on the mean % difference in ingredient analytical content from label claims, the products were divided into following three groups: 蠅10% below label, within 10% of label and 蠅10% above label. For the 10 vitamins analyzed, prenatal MVM had the largest proportion of products at 蠅10% below label (median value for product frequency distribution across the vitamins: 25%), compared to adult (8%) and children's (7%) MVM. The largest fractions of such products were for adult thiamin and prenatal folic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamins B-12, A and D. For the group within 10% of label, vitamins in adult and prenatal MVMs had similar data (medians: 54% and 48%, respectively). Children's MVM had the highest proportion of products (67%) with 蠅10% vitamin overages. For minerals, the fractions of MVM at 蠅10% below label content were negligible for 3 consumer categories (0-4.2% median range). The median ratios for within 10% of label to 蠅10% above label groups for children's, prenatal and adult MVM were 40/60% (0.67), 54/42% (1.28) and 72/26% (2.73), respectively. Thus, the degree of discrepancy may differ between analytical and labeled content of ingredients in MVM formulated and manufactured for 3 consumer categories. Funding: ARS/USDA & ODS/NIH Y1CN501006.