How to Identify a Dietary Supplement (2026)
Highlights
- Dec. 3249 de 2006
- Regulation
- defines the dietary supplement in Colombia
- Sanitary registration
- Authorization
- dietary supplements require it before INVIMA
- 10 years
- Validity
- of a dietary supplement's sanitary registration
- Not a medicine
- Use
- does not diagnose or treat disease
More and more people add vitamins and supplements to their routine to look after their health. The trouble starts on the shelf: it is easy to confuse a dietary supplement with a fortified food or a medicine, and they are not the same thing. Knowing how to tell them apart helps you buy with judgment and, if you manufacture or import, classify the product correctly before INVIMA.
What is a dietary supplement?
The Decreto 3249 de 2006 (Decree 3249 of 2006) defines it as a product whose purpose is to add to the normal diet and that is a concentrated source of nutrients and other substances with a physiological or nutritional effect. Put simply: it complements what you already eat, it does not replace it. It can provide vitamins, minerals, trace elements, or plant extracts with nutritional value, and it usually comes in presentations different from those of an ordinary food, such as capsules, tablets, powders, or liquids.
How it differs from a food and a medicine
A fortified food provides vitamins, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other elements as part of a meal. A supplement, by contrast, concentrates nutrients to add to the diet. The line that matters most is the one that separates it from a medicine: a medicine is meant to prevent, relieve, treat, or cure a disease, and a supplement is not. If a product promises to cure, diagnose, or treat an ailment, it has stopped speaking as a supplement.
Signs that help you recognize it
- It states a nutritional purpose of use, not a therapeutic one.
- It presents concentrated nutrients: vitamins, minerals, trace elements, or plant extracts.
- It carries clear information about its purpose and its nutritional support claims.
- It does not claim to cure, prevent, or treat disease.
What the label must carry
The product information has to be clear, consistent, and not open to confusion about what it is for. That includes the purpose of use and the nutritional support claims backed by its registration. Supplements with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements must also not exceed the maximum tolerable daily intake level, a figure that is likewise controlled on the label. The labeling detail follows the labeling rules in force.
Sanitary registration: the backing that builds trust
In Colombia, dietary supplements require sanitary registration from INVIMA before they can be sold, with a validity of 10 years. That registration is the assurance that the product and its label passed through the health authority. Before you buy, or before you launch, it is worth checking that the supplement holds that authorization. You can read how the process works in our guide to the INVIMA sanitary registration and what the agency does in what is INVIMA.
In short, a dietary supplement does not replace a balanced diet, nor does it serve to diagnose or treat a disease. Buying it with judgment starts by identifying it correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Is a dietary supplement the same as a medicine?
No. A medicine is meant to prevent, relieve, or treat a disease. A dietary supplement adds to the diet and provides nutrients or other substances with a physiological or nutritional effect, without claiming to cure or treat an ailment.
Does a dietary supplement replace a meal?
No. It does not substitute for a balanced diet. Its role is to complement the diet, not to be the day's main source of energy and nutrients.
Do dietary supplements need sanitary registration?
Yes. In Colombia, dietary supplements require sanitary registration from INVIMA before they are sold. That registration backs the label information and the product's intended purpose.
Can a supplement promise to cure a disease?
No. A dietary supplement cannot claim diagnostic, treatment, or curative properties. If a product promises that, it is worth reviewing its category and its authorization before consuming it.
Contact
Are you launching a dietary supplement?
At SPI Américas we support the sanitary registration of dietary supplements and foods before INVIMA, from product classification to authorization. Write to us for an initial consultation.