Documentation Standards
Process & Standards.
The procedures by which Traledon sources, verifies, and structures its supplement formulation records. Each stage is described in the order it occurs within the editorial cycle.
The procedures by which Traledon sources, verifies, and structures its supplement formulation records. Each stage is described in the order it occurs within the editorial cycle.
The process begins with a registry of UK-registered food supplement suppliers operating under the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 and equivalent devolved legislation. Only suppliers with documented traceability chains and publicly registered food business operators are considered for inclusion in the sourcing pool.
Each supplier provides a certificate of composition covering elemental or molecular concentration per serving, identity of the plant or mineral source, and the analytical method used. The editorial team cross-references these certificates against reference ranges from the British Dietetic Association and EFSA's nutrient function documentation.
Formulations entered into the catalogue undergo independent batch verification through a third-party laboratory operating outside the supply chain. The verification confirms declared ingredient concentrations, identifies any undeclared compounds, and documents the batch reference number for ongoing traceability. Verification reports are retained in the Traledon archive.
Ingredient profiles are mapped against published nutritional research. Where EFSA-authorised nutrient function language applies, catalogue entries use that language exclusively. Where research exists but no authorised wording applies, the entry notes the research reference without extrapolating to nutritional role claims. The distinction between documented nutritional support and unsupported assertion is maintained throughout.
Verified formulations are compiled into a standard catalogue entry format: ingredient list, source documentation reference, serving guide, independent verification batch number, and dietary reference value alignment notes. Copy is reviewed by the editorial standards function before publication. Entries that do not pass editorial review are returned for further documentation.
All published entries are subject to a quarterly review cycle. Batch records are refreshed as new certificates are issued. Where ingredient sourcing shifts or analytical findings update, the corresponding catalogue entry is amended with a revision date and change note. Entries not renewed within two review cycles are archived pending re-verification.
Active ingredients are sourced from documented suppliers, with each batch accompanied by a certificate of composition. Sourcing prioritises suppliers whose facilities maintain food-grade processing standards and whose analytical documentation is independently verifiable.
The Traledon supplier assessment reviews four criteria before a source is accepted into the catalogue pool: registration status under UK food business operator regulations, completeness of compositional documentation, third-party laboratory capacity, and supply chain traceability from raw material to finished ingredient.
Suppliers that cannot demonstrate traceability to a named country of origin for each active compound are excluded from the catalogue. This position reflects the editorial standard rather than a regulatory requirement — the catalogue holds to a stricter documentation threshold by design.
All suppliers operate under Food Standards Agency registration or equivalent devolved authority.
Country of origin documented for each active compound from raw material source to finished ingredient form.
Third-party batch analysis conducted outside the supplier's own analytical infrastructure.
Certificate covers all declared active compounds, concentrations, and analytical methodology used.
Catalogue nutrient role descriptions align with EFSA-authorised health claim language, Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 and subsequent amendments applicable in the UK post-transition period. No claims are made outside this authorised vocabulary.
Serving guide data is benchmarked against UK Dietary Reference Values as published by the British Dietetic Association and the Department of Health's Committee on Wellness Aspects of Food Policy. Entries note where intake levels fall relative to estimated average requirements for adult men.
Where ingredient profiles reference published nutritional research, citations point to peer-reviewed sources indexed in PubMed, the British Journal of Nutrition, or equivalent indexed publications. Grey literature and manufacturer-sponsored studies are excluded from primary citation.
Permitted vitamin and mineral forms are checked against the positive list in Schedule 1 of the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003. Ingredients not listed under permitted forms are flagged in the catalogue entry and their regulatory status noted.
Third-party batch analysis is commissioned only from laboratories holding ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for the relevant analytical scope. Accreditation certificates are reviewed prior to commissioning each batch analysis cycle.
All entries are governed by the Traledon editorial review charter — an internal document setting minimum documentation standards, prohibited language, commercial independence requirements, and revision cycle commitments. The charter is reviewed annually.
Transparency, within this catalogue, refers to the completeness and accessibility of source documentation. An ingredient is considered transparently documented when a reader can trace the compound from the catalogue entry back to a named supplier, a specific analytical method, and a recorded batch number.
The catalogue distinguishes between ingredients that are transparently documented and those that are merely declared. Declaration — listing a compound on a product label — is the regulatory minimum. Transparent documentation, as Traledon defines it, requires the supporting chain: origin record, composition certificate, and independent analytical confirmation.
Formulations that meet the declaration standard but not the documentation standard are categorised accordingly in the catalogue and flagged for further investigation in the next review cycle. The distinction is noted in the entry without comment on the formulation's nutritional adequacy — that is a separate assessment.
Regulatory declaration (label listing) and full traceability documentation are tracked separately for each entry.
Each verified formulation carries a traceable batch reference from ingredient source to finished composition.
Entries with incomplete documentation chains are flagged within the catalogue and prioritised for investigation in the next quarterly cycle.