These ingredients will never
enter our facility.
Most supplement brands publish what they put in. We also publish what we
will not. This is an operational constraint — not a marketing claim.
Every ingredient here is formally excluded from our formulas, our supply
chain, and our building.
Unived is a vegan brand — every product, without exception. Animal-derived ingredients are excluded unconditionally, not as a dietary preference, but as a founding constraint of the company.
The cheapest and most widely available capsule material globally — the industry default at every price point.
We use HPMC (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) capsules exclusively — plant-derived, performs equivalently. The cost premium is real and we absorb it.
The most studied protein in sports nutrition — highly bioavailable, rich in BCAAs, inexpensive as a dairy by-product. Most protein supplements globally are whey-based.
Unived is vegan. We use pea, rice, and hemp protein formulated to deliver equivalent BCAA profiles and digestibility without dairy.
Most D3 supplements globally derive from lanolin — cheaper, stable, decades of clinical data. Many brands label it simply 'Vitamin D3' without specifying the source.
All Unived D3 uses lichen-derived cholecalciferol — biochemically identical, plant-sourced. We carry the cost premium and disclose the source explicitly on every product label.
The most common and lowest-cost source of EPA and DHA. Most extensive clinical literature of any omega-3 source.
We use algae-derived DHA and EPA — the original biosource. Fish accumulate DHA by eating algae. Algal DHA is chemically identical, with no heavy metal accumulation risk from marine sources.
Marketed as a 'natural' red colourant and a clean-label alternative to FD&C dyes — despite being derived from crushed insects.
Animal-derived. Frequently labelled 'natural colour' without disclosing insect origin — a form of mislabelling. We use no colourants in any product in any form.
Lactose is used as a tablet filler and flow agent. Casein in slow-release protein products. Both inexpensive and shelf-stable.
Dairy-derived — vegan constraint. Lactose as a filler is also an undisclosed allergen risk: some brands include it without labelling that allows lactose-intolerant customers to identify it.
Regulatory approval reflects minimum safety thresholds — not our standard. Sweeteners with credible evidence of metabolic disruption, gut microbiome alteration, or carcinogenic potential have no place in a health product, regardless of FSSAI permissibility.
Widely used in protein powders and sports drinks for intense sweetness at very low concentrations. Heat-stable, often combined with sucralose. FSSAI GRAS.
Carcinogenic signal in animal studies acknowledged by the FDA's own approval process. 2022 research linked Ace-K to gut microbiome disruption at achievable doses. No nutritional benefit whatsoever.
One of the most-studied food additives. 200× sweeter than sugar, negligible calories, widely used in diet products and chewable vitamins.
WHO's IARC classified aspartame as 'possibly carcinogenic' (Group 2B) in 2023. Direct hazard for PKU patients. We have never used it in any product at any point.
The most commonly used sweetener in supplement products today. Clean flavour, heat-stable, marketed as 'made from sugar'. Most brands use it.
A 2023 study found sucralose-6-acetate (produced during digestion) to be genotoxic. Multiple 2022–24 studies show gut microbiome disruption. Evidence not conclusive — exclusion under active review as of March 2026.
Oldest widely-used artificial sweetener. Approved since the early 20th century, calorie-free, stable. Used in some tablet and chewable supplement formats.
Delisted from FDA GRAS due to bladder cancer findings, then relisted under industry pressure — not on new safety data. 2022 research confirmed significant gut microbiome disruption in humans.
Permitted in India and parts of Europe. Used in combination with saccharin to mask bitter aftertaste in non-US formulations.
Banned in the US due to bladder tumour findings in animal studies. Its metabolite cyclohexylamine is an ongoing concern. FSSAI permissibility is our floor, not our ceiling.
No Unived product contains colour — synthetic or natural. Supplements have no functional reason to be a specific colour. Colour additives serve the producer, not the consumer. We consider them a form of mislabelling.
Most widely consumed artificial dye globally. Used in capsule coatings, gummies, and liquids to produce red or pink tones. Cheap and visually stable.
Metabolised to aniline compounds — recognised carcinogens. EU mandates the warning: 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.' We do not use it at any dose.
Inexpensive, stable, used in tablet coatings and gummies for yellow and orange tones. Among the most-studied synthetic dyes.
Yellow 5 is a known cross-reactor with aspirin. Both carry the same EU hyperactivity warning. Yellow 6 linked to adrenal gland tumours in animal studies. No functional benefit.
Used for blue, green and purple tones in supplement coatings. Blue No. 1 is visually stable — it doesn't fade significantly over shelf life.
Blue 1 can cross the blood-brain barrier under intestinal inflammation. Blue 2 associated with brain tumour incidence in animal models. No functional benefit.
Most widely used white pigment in the world — used in tablet coatings and colour combinations. FSSAI-permissible in India.
EFSA banned it as a food additive in the EU in 2022, citing inability to exclude genotoxic potential. France banned it in 2020. We banned it from our facility when the EFSA opinion published in 2021.
Excipients are added for manufacturing convenience, not for the consumer's benefit. Every milligram in a Unived capsule is an active ingredient. We engineer our manufacturing process to avoid the need for any of these.
The single most common excipient in supplement manufacturing. Reduces friction during encapsulation. Present in the majority of supplements at 0.5–2% of formula weight.
No nutritional benefit. Shown to impair T-lymphocyte function in vitro. Most critically: every milligram of stearate is a milligram that is not an active ingredient. Our process is engineered to avoid it.
Prevents powder clumping during manufacturing. GRAS-listed, found in a large proportion of capsule supplements — often not prominently disclosed.
Nano-form silica raises concerns about intestinal barrier effects. We do not need it: our manufacturing does not require anti-caking agents. We engineer around the constraint.
Tablet binder and filler — cheap, inert, allows manufacturers to produce tablets of a desired size with less active ingredient.
A filler in the literal sense: it fills space that could contain active ingredients. No nutritional value. We dose by clinical evidence and encapsulate exactly that dose — without filler.
Used as a tablet lubricant and polish — creates the smooth, glossy appearance on coated supplement tablets.
Industrial talc is frequently contaminated with asbestos fibres. Food-grade talc is not reliably asbestos-free. FDA has issued multiple recalls of talc-containing products for asbestos contamination. Risk unacceptable in a health product.
Used as a filler and carrier in supplement powders and capsules. Inexpensive, tasteless, provides bulk.
Filler use excluded — displaces active ingredients and adds caloric load without purpose. We do use maltodextrin in our energy gels as a functional carbohydrate (disclosed dose). Use as excipient is excluded; use as active ingredient is not.
Trans fats from partial hydrogenation are conclusively linked to cardiovascular disease. Including them in any health product is a contradiction we will not accept. The WHO committed to eliminating partially hydrogenated oils from the global food supply by 2023.
Used as carrier oils for fat-soluble vitamins in some supplement formats and in certain tablet coating formulations. Provides stable, solid fat at room temperature.
Produces industrially produced trans fatty acids. The relationship between iTFAs and cardiovascular disease is among the strongest cause-effect relationships in nutritional science. Excluded categorically.
Emerged as a trans-fat replacement after PHOs came under scrutiny. Provides similar textural properties without the same trans fat profile — positioned as a 'healthier' PHO alternative.
Linked to increased fasting blood glucose, reduced HDL cholesterol, and other metabolic disruptions. Unclear long-term health profile. They serve purely as processing agents in supplement applications.
Not all items here are ingredients in the conventional sense. These are formulation and labelling practices that make honest disclosure impossible. We treat them as categorically unacceptable: they undermine the customer's right to know what they are consuming.
Allows listing impressive ingredient names while disclosing only the total blend weight — not individual doses. Protects formulas from copying and allows underdosing of expensive ingredients while retaining label-claim benefits.
We disclose every ingredient and every dose. If a formula cannot survive public dose disclosure, we question whether it should be sold.
Regulatory frameworks allow grouping minor ingredients under 'other ingredients' without specifying what they are. Common for flow agents and processing aids.
Every substance in a Unived product is listed on the label and on the product page. We have no 'other ingredients' catch-all because we have nothing to hide.
Including an ingredient at a sub-clinical dose allows listing it on the label, creating the perception of a comprehensive formula at minimal cost.
Every ingredient in a Unived formula is present at a dose justified by peer-reviewed clinical literature. If we cannot justify the dose, the ingredient does not enter the formula.