Swanson Health Products uses a date of manufacture (the date the product in the bottle was produced) rather than an expiration date for its dietary supplement products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency that oversees the manufacture and labeling of dietary supplements, does not require an expiration date on dietary supplements but requires that if one is used, it must be supported by stability testing data. However, as these regulations are still evolving, FDA has yet to define what they consider to be adequate data.

While Swanson has conducted some stability testing on our products, the company has chosen to label with date of manufacture in order to comply with this provision of FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices as it is written today. As FDA refines its regulatory definitions and enforcement protocols, we will continue to evaluate our position and make any appropriate changes.

Dietary supplements are generally shelf stable (not perishable) products. When produced using good manufacturing practices and stored according to label recommendations, there is little risk that they would develop any unsafe attributes over time. All Swanson products are produced by qualified, GMP-compliant manufacturers. We require, and will continue to require, that our manufacturers develop and formulate products to maintain their quality for the expected timeframe.

In most cases, products are considered stable at full potency for two years from the manufacture date.*

At Swanson Health Products, one of our primary goals has always been to provide you with the freshest product possible. We bottle all of our Swanson brand capsules, tablets and softgels in our own facility, which allows us to control our inventory and deliver you guaranteed freshness. The use of manufacture date does not represent any change or difference in the quality of Swanson brand supplements. Our products continue to meet and exceed the most stringent quality standards.

Please note:

Swanson brand food and cosmetic products (creams, lotions, shampoo, etc.) are marked with expiration or best before dating as those products are regulated differently than dietary supplements.

*Liquid supplements and probiotics are generally stable for one year past the expiration date; however, we feel our probiotics continue to be beneficial even after one year. In fact, Swanson has tested several of our probiotic products beyond one year after manufacture and found that activity levels still meet the label claims. Swanson probiotic products are stored under refrigeration for as long as they are under our control; to extend shelf-life, we recommend they be refrigerated upon receipt.