Reading blends
Proprietary blend explained: what a supplement label leaves out
A proprietary blend is a group of ingredients listed under one name with one total weight, not one amount each. On a supplement label the names must run from most to least by weight. Olivaro prints 200 mg for 22 names, so no single amount can be checked.
Written by the Olivaro label deskUpdated · 5 min read
Short answer
What is a proprietary blend on a supplement label?
A proprietary blend is a set of ingredients that a label lists together under one name with one total weight.
As we read the federal rule cited here, a blend declares its name, lists its ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight, and states the blend's total weight (21 CFR 101.36(c), proprietary blends). Vitamins and minerals with a Daily Value are declared separately.
That is why Olivaro's Supplement Facts panel shows chromium on its own row (0.7 mcg, 2% of the Daily Value) and then "Proprietary Blend 200 mg" with a dagger: Daily Value not established.
What it hides
Why does a blend total hide detail?
A total of 200 mg tells you the sum, not the parts, so a reader cannot compare any ingredient with a studied dose.
A 2023 perspective on proprietary blends says the blend weight and ingredient names are declared but not the individual amounts, which makes them unusable for dose assessment (Saldanha 2023, proprietary blends perspectives).
| Question | Answer from the label |
|---|---|
| Total blend weight | 200 mg per 1 mL serving |
| Number of names | 22 |
| Order | Listed maca first and L-carnitine last |
| Amount of any one name | Not printed |
The arithmetic
What does 200 mg divided by 22 tell you?
It gives about 9.1 mg (200 / 22 = 9.09), but only as an if-equal illustration, because the label does not say the 22 are equal.
The descending-order rule points the other way. If the label follows it, maca is the largest share and L-carnitine the smallest, so the amounts are unlikely to be equal. We did not verify the order. The one safe statement is an upper bound: no single name can exceed the whole 200 mg.
22 ingredients, 200 mgPick a position in the label order to see two readings side by side. The tiles are all the same size on purpose: the label prints no amount for any ingredient.
- If split equally
- 200 / 22 = 9.1 mg each
- Label order
- Listed first
- Printed amount
- None
An equal split is arithmetic, not a finding. 200 / 22 = 9.1 mg is what each would hold only if all 22 were equal, and the label does not say they are. The label order is descending by weight (FDA rule (21 CFR 101.36(c), proprietary blends)): the first listed is the largest and the last listed the smallest. The actual amounts are not printed.
Olivaro liquid: 30 mL a bottle1 mL serving · 2, 3 or 6 bottles · from $49 a bottle · shipping at checkout
See the priceReading it safely
How should you read a proprietary blend label?
Read the total, count the names, and ask a pharmacist about any name that matters for your medicines.
- Look for the dagger: "Daily Value not established".
- Count the names against the total.
- Bring a photo of the label to a pharmacist.
Keep taking prescribed medicine, and never stop or change it because of a supplement. Signs of severe low blood sugar (confusion, fainting, seizure), chest pain or trouble breathing: call 911.
If you still want it
Where can you see Olivaro's blend in full?
All 22 names are printed on the proprietary blend page in label order, and no trial tested the blend.
Confirm prices at the live checkout.
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6 bottles: 180 mL
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See 6 bottlesSeller-listed prices; confirm at checkout (Olivaro sales site). Two bottles are also sold. If you take diabetes medicine or insulin, ask your clinician or pharmacist before you order.
FAQ
Olivaro questions people ask
Is a proprietary blend legal?
Yes, as read in the rule cited here, a label may list a blend's total weight and its names in descending order without each amount. Legal does not mean checkable: a reader still cannot judge any single dose.
Does the first ingredient in a blend have the most?
Under the descending-order rule it should, so maca would be largest and L-carnitine smallest on Olivaro's list. We did not verify that order, and no amount is printed to confirm it.
Can I work out each ingredient's amount myself?
No. Dividing 200 mg by 22 gives about 9.1 mg, but only if the amounts were equal, which the label does not say. Treat that figure as arithmetic, not as a real amount.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the seller's brief and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is the information site of a USA Authorized Olivaro Retailer. It is not the manufacturer, and the label names Instituto Experience as the distributor. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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