Same UPC Code But Product Discrepancy

[+ Gar1eth]

So you'd think it was the same product. The labels are similar too. But even though the one bottle on the right says the tablets are petites, they are longer than the ones that were in the bottle on the left.

 

And the RDA's listed are different. Each bottle supposedly contains the same amount of calcium and vitamin D, but the bottle on the left says that amount of calcium is 40% of the RDA. The bottle on the right says it's only 31%. As for the Vitamin D. The bottle on the left says it's 125% of the RDA. The right bottle says it's 63 %.

 

Weird -hunh!!

 

 

Gman

[LivingnLA]

The ingredidents are very slightly different. Maybe switched manufacturers? I can't comment about the pill size, but the serving sizes are identical so they're functionally identical, which is why the UPC is identical. Both bottles provide a 2 tablet serving size that contains 500IU of D3 and 400mg of calcium. My guess is they were produced at very different times. There should be dates somewhere on the bottles. The FDA changed Recommended Daily Values so that could explain the differences in percentages.

 

https://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/dailyvalue.jsp

 

You can also search for products listed in the NIH database to see what they say about them.

 

https://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/lstProducts.jsp

[Trick]

They must have reformulated the product but kept the UPC

[maninsoma]

The products are basically identical. What differs significantly is the calculation of the % of recommended daily amount. This is likely because there is no single RDA for vitamin D3, with a range of 10-20 micrograms. 12.5 is 125% of 10 and 62.5% of 20, which accounts for the discrepancy in labeling on the two bottles. Maybe they changed the shape of the pill slightly and the look of the package, but the pills are equivalent in terms of potency.

[+ Gar1eth]

The ingredidents are very slightly different. Maybe switched manufacturers? I can't comment about the pill size, but the serving sizes are identical so they're functionally identical, which is why the UPC is identical. Both bottles provide a 2 tablet serving size that contains 500IU of D3 and 400mg of calcium. My guess is they were produced at very different times. There should be dates somewhere on the bottles. The FDA changed Recommended Daily Values so that could explain the differences in percentages.

 

https://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/dailyvalue.jsp

 

You can also search for products listed in the NIH database to see what they say about them.

 

https://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/lstProducts.jsp

I was wondering if there has been a change by the FDA. Do you know when it occurred? I think both bottles would have been bought in the last 18 months. Their years of expiration are both in 2021.

 

The products are basically identical. What differs significantly is the calculation of the % of recommended daily amount. This is likely because there is no single RDA for vitamin D3, with a range of 10-20 micrograms. 12.5 is 125% of 10 and 62.5% of 20, which accounts for the discrepancy in labeling on the two bottles. Maybe they changed the shape of the pill slightly and the look of the package, but the pills are equivalent in terms of potency.

 

I had been wondering if that were the case also. Still it makes good sense to look at labels. Years ago a relative of mine bought some ice cream that said on the front 100% Natural. On the back it listed "artificial ingredients." He called company. It turned out they had (supposedly) printed the labels up using the wrong template. They sent him coupons for free ice cream.

 

Gman

[LivingnLA]

I was wondering if there has been a change by the FDA. Do you know when it occurred? I think both bottles would have been bought in the last 18 months. Their years of expiration are both in 2021.

 

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-modernizes-nutrition-facts-label-packaged-foods

 

It was finalized and announced in 2016 and manufacturers had until July 2018 to comply.