Nutritional supplements — vitamins, minerals, protein powders, pre-workouts, herbal extracts — operate in a tightly regulated space. The health claims made on product pages are subject to UK food law, and supplements that cross into medicinal territory are regulated by the MHRA. Migrating to Shopify requires bringing product data accurately and ensuring claim language remains compliant on the new platform.

Supplement product categories

Vitamins and minerals: Individual vitamins (Vitamin D, C, B12, zinc) and multivitamin complexes. Dose, form (tablet, capsule, softgel, gummy), and quantity.
Protein powders: Whey, casein, plant-based (pea, hemp, rice). Flavours, sizes (500g, 1kg, 2.5kg, 5kg). Protein content per serving is primary spec.
Sports nutrition: Pre-workout, creatine, BCAAs, beta-alanine, electrolytes. Often powder form with flavour variants.
Herbal and botanical: Ashwagandha, turmeric, CBD, adaptogens. Standardised extract percentage important.
Weight management: Meal replacement shakes, fat burners, appetite control.
Omega and fatty acids: Fish oil, krill oil, algal omega (vegan). EPA/DHA content per capsule.
Digestive health: Probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes. Strain, CFU count, storage requirements.

UK health claims regulations

Food supplement claims are regulated by the UK Food Safety Act 1990 and the Nutrition and Health Claims (England) Regulations 2007 (retained EU law). Key rules:

Only authorised nutrition and health claims can be made (approved list from GB NHC Register)
Claims must not state that a supplement "treats," "prevents," or "cures" any disease — this crosses into medicinal territory regulated by the MHRA
Permissible: "Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones" (authorised function claim)
Not permissible: "Helps fight cancer" or "Reduces arthritis pain" (unauthorised or medicinal claims)

When migrating, audit all product descriptions for claim language. WooCommerce product descriptions may contain claims written under different standards that now need updating.

product.metafields.supplement.active_ingredient = "Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)"
product.metafields.supplement.amount_per_serving = "1000IU (25mcg)"
product.metafields.supplement.servings_per_container = "90"
product.metafields.supplement.serving_size = "1 softgel"
product.metafields.supplement.form = "Softgel / Capsule / Tablet / Gummy / Powder"
product.metafields.supplement.suitable_vegan = "true"
product.metafields.supplement.suitable_vegetarian = "true"
product.metafields.supplement.gluten_free = "true"

Allergen data

UK food labelling law (Food Information to Consumers Regulation) requires the 14 major allergens to be declared on food products including supplements:

product.metafields.supplement.contains_allergens = "Milk / Soy / Gluten"
product.metafields.supplement.free_from = "Gluten / Soy / Dairy / Nuts"
product.metafields.supplement.manufactured_in = "UK GMP-certified facility"
product.metafields.supplement.may_contain = "Peanuts, tree nuts"  // cross-contamination warning

Flavour and size variants

Protein powders and pre-workouts typically have multiple flavours and bag sizes. Structure:

Use Shopify variants: Option 1 = Flavour (Chocolate / Vanilla / Strawberry / Unflavoured), Option 2 = Size (500g / 1kg / 2.5kg)
Shopify's 100-variant limit: 10 flavours × 4 sizes = 40 variants — comfortably within limit for most ranges
Per-serving cost: display cost per serving in product description or as a metafield (helps comparison shopping)
Scoop sizes: note serving size in grams and that a scoop is included, or show dose calculator

product.metafields.supplement.protein_per_100g = "80"
product.metafields.supplement.protein_per_serving_g = "24"
product.metafields.supplement.calories_per_serving = "120"
product.metafields.supplement.cost_per_serving_gbp = "0.89"

Subscription products for supplements

Supplements are a natural fit for subscription/replenishment products — customers buy monthly. Setting up subscriptions on Shopify is covered in the dedicated subscription guide. Key supplement considerations:

Subscribe and save: 10–15% discount on subscription vs one-off purchase
Bundle subscriptions: "Subscribe to 3 products, save 20%"
Frequency options: every 30 / 60 / 90 days depending on supply duration

Post-migration checklist for nutritional supplements stores

All health claims audited — only authorised UK NHC Register claims used
No medicinal claims in product descriptions
Allergen data on all supplements (14 major allergens declared or "free from" stated)
Active ingredient and amount per serving as metafields
Flavour and size variants correctly structured
Subscription app configured for recurring supplements orders
GMP manufacturing certification referenced on relevant product pages
Best before / batch tracking: process documented for product recalls
Vegan / vegetarian suitability as metafields on all products

Migrating a nutritional supplements store from WooCommerce to Shopify (2026)