Reading a natural health product label: the NPN explained

In Canada, many products we buy without a prescription, from vitamin D to elderberry syrup, are natural health products. They are not foods, nor medications in the usual sense: they have their own regulations, managed by Health Canada. And those regulations leave traces on the label.

Knowing how to read those traces is the best way to choose a product without relying only on marketing promises. This article is part of our guide to herbal remedies for colds and flu.

What is a natural health product?

According to Health Canada, the natural health product category covers, among other things, vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies, traditional medicines, such as traditional Chinese medicines, homeopathic remedies, probiotics and certain everyday consumer products.

To be sold legally in Canada, these products must obtain a product licence. And once authorized, they must display a very specific number on their label.

The NPN: eight digits that matter

According to Health Canada, once the product is authorized, its label must carry an eight-digit licence number preceded by the letters NPN, for Natural Product Number. For a homeopathic remedy, it is the letters DIN-HM instead.

This number indicates that Health Canada has assessed the product. According to the information sheet for consumers, a product with an NPN or DIN-HM should be considered safe and of high quality.

And if there is no number? Health Canada says this does not necessarily mean the product is unsafe. But it has not received a product licence, and the agency recommends buying only products that display an NPN or DIN-HM.

Check an NPN in two minutes

A number on a label can be made up. The good news is that you can check it for free in Health Canada's Licensed Natural Health Products Database.

1. Search for "Licensed Natural Health Products Database" on Health Canada's website.
2. Enter the NPN or DIN-HM printed on the label.
3. Compare the record with the package in your hand.

Each record shows the product name, the licence holder's name, the medicinal and non-medicinal ingredients, the dosage form, the recommended uses and risk information: cautions and warnings, contraindications and known adverse reactions. According to Health Canada, the data are updated daily.

If the use written on the bottle goes further than the one in the record, that is a red flag.

What the label must contain

According to Health Canada, the label of a licensed natural health product includes, among other things:

The label also states whether the product should not be taken with certain other natural health products, prescription drugs or foods.

The term not to miss: "Herbal Medicine"

A natural health product can be authorized on the basis of clinical studies, or on the basis of a plant's traditional use. Both lead to an NPN, but they are not the same thing.

The label often gives a clue. In several Health Canada monographs, such as the elder monograph, claims based on traditional use are worded with a term such as "Herbal Medicine", "Traditional Chinese Medicine" or "Ayurveda". For example: "Used in Herbal Medicine to help relieve symptoms of colds."

That does not mean the product does not work. It means the claim rests on tradition, not on clinical trials that demonstrated the effect. For elder, for example, trials are few and of low certainty. It is all explained in our article on elderberry syrup.

The warnings, line by line

The warnings section is often in small print, but it is the most important. You will find statements that come up often, in one form or another:

• Consult before use if pregnant or breastfeeding: safety has not been established in these situations.
• Consult if symptoms persist or worsen: the product relieves, it does not replace a medical visit.
• Stop use if hypersensitivity or allergy occurs: take it seriously, especially with plants in the Asteraceae family, like echinacea.
• A maximum duration, such as "for occasional use only": some products are not meant to be taken continuously.

Health Canada also reminds people not to rely on company advertising or package information to judge a product, and to consult a health professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, when in doubt.

An example: the elderberry syrup bottle

Imagine a bottle of elderberry syrup bought at the pharmacy. Turning it over, you should find:

• an eight-digit NPN, which you can check in the database;
• the medicinal ingredient, with the species, for example Sambucus nigra, the part used, fruit or flower, and the amount per dose;
• a use such as "Used in Herbal Medicine to help relieve symptoms of colds and flu";
• doses by age group, from age 2 only if the product follows Health Canada's monograph;
• warnings about pregnancy, breastfeeding, allergies and symptoms that persist.

If any of these elements is missing, or if the label talks about "curing the flu", ask your pharmacist questions before buying.

Children and pregnancy

Health Canada advises consulting a health care provider before giving a natural health product to a child, or taking one during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Children's doses, when they exist, are given by age group on the label. If your child's age is not listed, the product is not intended for them.

And for little ones, one more rule: cough products that contain honey are off-limits before age 1. It is all explained in our article on honey for cough.

Buying online: be careful

According to Health Canada, buying natural health products online carries particular risks. Some products sold on the internet come from unknown sources, are expired, contaminated, of poor quality or ineffective. Some are counterfeit, or not authorized in Canada. And a product made for another country may contain different ingredients from the Canadian version.

Health Canada's advice:

• buy only products that display an NPN or DIN-HM;
• if the website does not show the number, ask the seller for it and check it in the database.

We would add a common-sense tip: be wary of products that promise quick or miraculous results, or to "boost immunity". Studies do not support that kind of promise.

Reporting a problem

A natural product can cause side effects, like any health product. Health Canada encourages people to report all adverse reactions, through MedEffect Canada. For a quality problem or a product sold without a licence, there is also a complaint form. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist as well, especially if you take other medications.

In short

Before buying a natural health product, turn the bottle over. Look for the NPN, check it in Health Canada's database, read the authorized uses and warnings, and spot the term "Herbal Medicine", which tells you the claim rests on tradition. Those few minutes are worth more than any advertisement. And if you take medications, your pharmacist can check with you.

Sources

• Product Licensing, Health Canada.
• Licensed Natural Health Products Database, Health Canada.
• Information Sheet #5 for Consumers, Health Canada.
• Safe Use of Natural Health Products, Health Canada.
• Risks of buying natural health products online, Health Canada.
• Natural Health Product: Elder (Sambucus), Health Canada, 2025.