Proprietary Blends Explained: What a Single Milligram Number Hides

Many memory supplements list a blend total instead of individual doses. We explain the rules, the arithmetic sellers rely on, and how to use a fully disclosed label as a comparison tool.

What the Rules Allow

Under US labelling rules a manufacturer may group ingredients into a proprietary blend and print only the total weight, provided the ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance. The stated purpose is protecting formulas from copying. The practical effect is that the buyer cannot know the dose of anything inside the blend, only that the first-listed ingredient is the largest.

The Arithmetic Trick

Because ingredients are listed by weight, a blend can be built so that a cheap bulk ingredient, often a salt, a sugar or an inexpensive herb, makes up most of the total, while the expensive, well-studied ingredients that headline the marketing are present in trace amounts at the end of the list. A 600-milligram blend with eight ingredients could contain 500 milligrams of the first and a few milligrams each of the rest, and the label would be fully compliant.

Fairy Dusting and Research Doses

The industry term for including an ingredient at a token dose so it can appear on the label is fairy dusting. The only defence is comparing each ingredient with the amount used in human research, which is impossible when the amount is hidden. This is why a label that prints every dose, even modest ones, is more useful than one that hides larger ones: you can see exactly what you are buying and decide whether it is worth it.

Using a Disclosed Label as Your Benchmark

When comparing products, put the fully disclosed label beside the blend label. Ask what the blend would need to contain to match the disclosed product ingredient by ingredient, and whether the total even allows it. Ask the seller for the breakdown; a refusal is an answer. Over time, buyers who reward disclosure make it more common.

Where MemoHoney Fits

MemoHoney prints all seven amounts on its panel, L-Arginine 200 mg through Calcium 18 mg, with no blend. That lets you run the comparison above directly, and our review page uses those printed numbers rather than marketing language to describe what the capsule delivers. Read the full breakdown on the MemoHoney official website, including ingredients, customer reviews and current pricing.

Key Takeaways

• Blends must list ingredients by weight but may hide amounts.
• The first-listed ingredient is the largest; headline herbs are often last.
• Fairy dusting is only detectable when doses are printed.
• Use a fully disclosed label as the benchmark for comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are proprietary blends illegal?

No, they are permitted under US rules as long as ingredients are listed in descending order of weight.

Why would an honest company use a blend?

Some cite formula protection. Many reputable brands now disclose everything precisely because buyers have learned to distrust blends.

Does MemoHoney use a proprietary blend?

No. Every ingredient and its amount is printed on the supplement facts panel.

Sources

• FDA: Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide
• NIH ODS: Dietary Supplement Label Database