Before you brief a manufacturer, you need to know which category your product falls into. A food-type supplement and a TGA-listed therapeutic good are two different products, made under two different sets of rules, with two different pathways to market. Getting this wrong early costs time and money later.
MHS manufactures food-type supplements — not TGA-listed therapeutic goods. This distinction matters for what founders can claim on their labels, and it decides whether MHS is the right manufacturer for your product at all.
This article explains what each category means, how to tell which one your product idea sits in, and why MHS works in the food-type lane. The goal is to help you self-sort before you spend anything.
The two regulatory pathways
In Australia, supplements fall under one of two regulators depending on the product and the claims made about it.
A food-type supplement is governed by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, administered through FSANZ. It is, in regulatory terms, a food product taken for general wellbeing — a powder, blend, liquid, sachet, gummy, or homeopathic remedy made to food standards.
A therapeutic good is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Therapeutic goods make therapeutic claims and must be listed or registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods before they can be sold. That is a separate, longer regulatory pathway.
| Food-type supplement (MHS scope) | TGA-listed therapeutic good (not MHS scope) | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | FSANZ — Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code | Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) |
| Governs | Food composition, labelling, nutrition and health claims (Standard 1.2.7) | Therapeutic claims and ARTG listing or registration |
| Example formats | Powders and blends, liquids and tinctures, sachets, gummies, homeopathic remedies (food-type only) | Products positioned as therapeutic goods |
| Claim type permitted | Nutrient content and pre-approved general-level health claims | Therapeutic claims |
| Founder takeaway | A food product taken for general wellbeing | A regulated pathway that is longer and different |
The categories are not interchangeable. A product is not "either fine" — the claims you intend to make and the way you position the product determine which pathway applies.
How to tell which category your product falls in
You can usually sort your own product idea with a few questions. Work through them in order:
- What do you want the label and marketing to claim? If the claims are about general wellbeing, nutrient content, or the presence of an ingredient, you are likely in food-type territory. If the claims are therapeutic in nature, that points to the TGA pathway.
- What format is the product? Powders, blends, liquids, tinctures, sachets, gummies, and homeopathic remedies can all be made as food-type products. MHS does not manufacture capsules or tablets in-house.
- Who is the product for? Products targeting children, elderly, pregnant, or breastfeeding users carry additional regulatory and safety requirements. At MHS these require Advanced Formulation — a scope requirement, not a safety claim about the finished product.
- Are you making a therapeutic claim? This is the deciding question. If your product is positioned to make therapeutic claims, it is a therapeutic good and follows the TGA pathway — regardless of format. If it is not, and it is a food-type format, it belongs in the food-type lane.
If you are still unsure after these questions, that is normal. Many founders arrive without knowing which pathway they need. MHS can help you understand the distinction before you commit to anything.
Why MHS works in the food-type lane
MHS's scope is deliberate and stated plainly: food-type supplements under FSANZ food standards, and nothing beyond that boundary.
"MHS manufactures food-type supplements under food standards. If your product requires TGA listing as a therapeutic good, that is a different regulatory pathway — we can help you understand the distinction."
This is not a limitation dressed up as a feature. A manufacturer that names its boundary lets you self-sort before you engage, which protects you from a regulatory misstep that would surface much later and cost far more to unwind.
MHS operates under Food Licence FL-653816 and HACCP Certificate 500-25350-H (Citation Certification Pty Ltd), with FSANZ-aligned labelling and $20M public liability insurance. These are the credentials of a food manufacturer — the correct fit for a food-type product, and the wrong fit for a therapeutic good.
If your product is a therapeutic good, MHS is not your manufacturer — and it is better to know that now than after a formulation is underway.
What this means for your label
The category you sit in sets the limits on what you can put on the label. For a food-type supplement, the following framing is available, subject to substantiation under the Food Standards Code:
- Nutrient content claims — for example, "Contains Vitamin C" or "Good Source of Fibre" — subject to substantiation under FSANZ Standard 1.2.7 and confirmed serving size before any specific figure is published.
- Pre-approved general-level health claims — only for food–nutrient relationships already permitted under the Code.
- Factual inclusion statements — "Contains [ingredient]".
What a food-type label cannot carry: therapeutic claims, clinical outcome claims, structure-function claims implying drug-like activity, or anything implying the product is TGA-listed. If your product needs any of those, it is a therapeutic good, and the food-type lane is not the right pathway.
Frequently asked questions
No. They are different regulatory categories, not quality tiers. A food-type supplement is manufactured to food standards with batch records, in-process checks, and Certificate of Analysis collation as standard outputs. The difference is the pathway and the claims permitted, not the rigour of manufacturing.
The two pathways are separate from the outset because the claims and positioning differ. Decide the category before you formulate. If you are unsure which one your product needs, work through the self-sort questions above, then start the onboarding form so MHS can review what you have.
No. MHS manufactures food-type supplements under FSANZ food standards only. If your product requires TGA listing as a therapeutic good, that is a different regulatory pathway — MHS can help you understand the distinction, but does not manufacture in that category.