How to Read a Proprietary Blend Label, Using Maxorin as the Example
Quick answerA proprietary blend lists one total weight and names its ingredients in order of weight, as 21 CFR 101.36 requires. Divide the total by an ingredient's place in the list to get its ceiling. In the 570 mg Maxorin blend, L-citrulline is at most 570 mg, carnitine 285 mg and saffron 95 mg. These are ceilings, not amounts.
What is a proprietary blend on a supplement label?
A proprietary blend is a group of ingredients sold under one name and one total weight. The label names each ingredient in the group. It does not have to say how much of each one is inside.
Maxorin has one blend: "Proprietary Blend 570 mg." It holds six ingredients. Above it sit two ingredients with their own amounts, niacin 20 mg and zinc 11 mg.
Blends are legal and common. They are also the part of a label that needs the most care to read.
What does 21 CFR 101.36 require for a blend?
The FDA rule for supplement labels is 21 CFR 101.36. For a proprietary blend, it asks for two things (21 CFR 101.36). It leaves out a third that buyers often want.
The total weight
The label must show the combined weight of everything in the blend. For Maxorin, that is 570 mg per capsule.
Order by weight
The ingredients must be listed from the most by weight to the least. That single rule is what makes the ceiling math possible.
What is not required
The label does not have to show each ingredient's own weight. It also does not have to say how strong an extract is, such as a 10:1 ratio or a set percent of an active compound.
How does the proprietary blend ceiling math work?
The ceiling math uses one idea. Every ingredient above a given spot weighs at least as much as that ingredient. So the Nth ingredient can weigh no more than the total divided by N.
Why it works
Take the third ingredient in a 570 mg blend. Suppose it weighed 200 mg. The first two would each weigh at least 200 mg too. That makes at least 600 mg, which is more than the whole blend. So the third ingredient must be 190 mg or less.
Find the blend total
Read the number on the blend line. For Maxorin, it is 570 mg.
Number the ingredients
Count down the list: first, second, third, and so on.
Divide
Divide the total by each ingredient's number. That is its ceiling.
Read it as a maximum
The real amount can be anywhere below the ceiling.
See the Maxorin label for yourself
One capsule a day: niacin 20 mg, zinc 11 mg and a 570 mg blend led by L-citrulline. Read the full panel, then decide inside the 60-day money-back window.
What are the ceilings for each Maxorin blend ingredient?
Here is the math applied to all six Maxorin blend ingredients. The last column shows the daily dose used in studies, so you can see where a ceiling falls short and where it could fit.
| Ingredient | Place in list | Math | Ceiling | Dose used in studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-Citrulline | 1 | 570 ÷ 1 | At most 570 mg | 1,500 mg a day (Cormio et al., 2011) |
| L-Carnitine | 2 | 570 ÷ 2 | At most 285 mg | About 4,000 mg a day (two forms) (Cavallini et al., 2004) |
| Pine bark extract | 3 | 570 ÷ 3 | At most 190 mg | 80-120 mg a day, with 1.7 g arginine (Stanislavov & Nikolova, 2003) |
| Maca root extract | 4 | 570 ÷ 4 | At most 142 mg | 1,500-3,000 mg a day (Gonzales et al., 2002) |
| Grape skin extract | 5 | 570 ÷ 5 | At most 114 mg | No direct data; resveratrol 30-270 mg (Wong et al., 2011) |
| Saffron extract | 6 | 570 ÷ 6 | At most 95 mg | 30-60 mg a day (Maleki-Saghooni et al., 2018) |
Three ingredients have ceilings far below the study dose: citrulline, carnitine and maca. Pine bark and saffron could fit their study ranges, but the real amounts are unknown. Our post on L-citrulline and nitric oxide looks at the lead ingredient in depth.
What can the ceiling math not tell you?
The ceiling math sets an upper bound. It cannot tell you the real amount, and it says little about the bottom of the list. This is the main weakness of any blend, including the one in Maxorin.
Only one floor exists
The first ingredient must be at least the total divided by the number of ingredients. For Maxorin, citrulline is at least 95 mg (570 ÷ 6). Every other ingredient could, in theory, be very small.
One possible split
Here is a made-up example that fits the label. Citrulline 300 mg, carnitine 150 mg, pine bark 60 mg, maca 30 mg, grape skin 20 mg, saffron 10 mg. It adds up to 570 mg and keeps the order. Many other splits would fit just as well.
Extract strength is missing
Pine bark, maca, grape skin and saffron are extracts. The label does not say how concentrated they are. So even a known weight would not tell you the amount of active compounds.
Why do brands use proprietary blends?
Brands say blends protect a formula from copycats. A competitor cannot copy exact amounts that are never printed. That is a real business reason.
The cost falls on the buyer, who cannot compare each ingredient with the research. That is why our buyer's checklist gives fewer points to formulas that hide more in a blend.
The case for blends
- Protects the formula from copycats
- Legal under FDA rules
- Order by weight still gives useful ceilings
The cost to buyers
- Individual amounts stay hidden
- Hard to compare with study doses
- Extract strength often missing
Which parts of the Maxorin label can you check in full?
Plenty on the Maxorin label can be checked, even with a blend. Start with what is printed in full.
- Serving: 1 capsule; 30 servings per bottle.
- Printed amounts: niacin 20 mg (125% DV) and zinc 11 mg (100% DV).
- Other ingredients: hypromellose (vegetable capsule), microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide.
- Lot shown: MAX-26/MA-8307, with certificate reference MAX-8307-26-MA. No lab certificate has been published.
Our post on what zinc 11 mg and niacin 20 mg mean covers the printed amounts. The Supplement Facts page walks through the full panel.
How do you read any blend label in five steps?
The same method works on any supplement with a blend. It takes about five minutes with the bottle in your hand.
Find the blend line
Note the name and the total weight per serving.
List the ingredients in order
Write them down top to bottom, and number them.
Work out each ceiling
Divide the total by each number.
Compare with study doses
Look up the daily dose used in trials for each ingredient.
Ask the seller
Request the amounts and a lab certificate for your lot. Note the answer.
One more check
A tidy blend label does not rule out a hidden drug. The FDA has found sildenafil and tadalafil in many products sold as sexual enhancement supplements (FDA, sexual enhancement notifications). Buy from the authorized seller and check the safety notes before you start.
Proprietary blend label FAQ
What is a proprietary blend?
It is a mix of ingredients shown under one name and one total weight. The label names each ingredient but does not have to show how much of each is inside.
What rule governs proprietary blends?
The FDA rule is 21 CFR 101.36. It requires the blend's total weight and a list of its ingredients in order of weight, from most to least.
How do I find the most an ingredient can weigh?
Divide the blend's total weight by the ingredient's place in the list. The third ingredient in a 570 mg blend can weigh no more than 190 mg.
Can I work out the least an ingredient can weigh?
Not for most of the list. The last ingredients could be very small. Only the first ingredient has a floor: it must be at least the total divided by the number of ingredients.
How much L-citrulline is in Maxorin?
The exact amount is not published. It is first of six in a 570 mg blend, so it weighs between 95 mg and 570 mg.
Why do brands use proprietary blends?
Brands say it protects their formula from copycats. The trade-off is that buyers cannot compare each ingredient with the doses used in studies.
Can I ask for the Maxorin blend amounts?
You can ask the order desk at +1 (323) 348-1373. The amounts have not been published so far.