1 Identity

Health Canada NPN

Health Canada — Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate
Government pre-market authorizationL018
Government pre-market authorization · Est. See overview [1]. · See overview [1].
Clinical pearl for practitioners
Canada requires ALL Natural Health Products (NHPs) to receive pre-market authorization from Health Canada before they can be sold [1] [1].
Consumer action: Verify in the official Health Canada NPN database before relying on the mark [1].
RED FLAGS
⚑ Product claims Health Canada NPN but not verifiable [1]
⚑ Expired or lapsed certification [1]
2 How to verify
1
Find the mark on the label
Look for the official Health Canada NPN mark on product packaging [1].
2
Visit the official database
Go to the Health Canada NPN product/facility lookup [1].
3
Search your product or facility
Enter product name or manufacturer. Verify exact match [1].
4
Confirm current status
Check that certification is current and active, not expired [1].
5
Not found — exercise caution
If a product claims Health Canada NPN but is not verifiable, it may be fraudulent [1].
3 How to spot it — genuine vs fake
⚠
Always confirm the mark with the issuing body
The authoritative check is on Health Canada — Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate's official register, which shows the genuine mark and lists certified products.
GENUINE — look for
✓ Official Health Canada NPN mark on label [1]
✓ Verifiable in official database [1]
✓ Current active status [1]
FAKE — warning signs
✕ Mark not matching official design [1]
✕ Not verifiable in database [1]
✕ Expired certification [1]
The Health Canada NPN mark is a trademark of Health Canada — Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate and is referenced here for identification only. Confirm authenticity on the issuing body's official register.
4 Expert guidance
Clinical relevance
Health Canada NPN provides quality assurance relevant to clinical practice. See overview [1].
Dispensing guidance
Health Canada NPN is a quality indicator for product selection. See overview [1].
What it means
See overview for explanation of Health Canada NPN [1].
5 Overview
Canada requires ALL Natural Health Products (NHPs) to receive pre-market authorization from Health Canada before they can be sold [1]. Authorized products receive a Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM). The NPN system requires manufacturers to submit evidence of safety, efficacy, and quality for each product — including clinical evidence or traditional use evidence supporting health claims [1]. This is fundamentally different from the US system (where supplements can be sold without pre-market approval under DSHEA 1994) and represents one of the more rigorous national frameworks globally. NPN authorization also requires Canadian-standard GMP (Site License) for the manufacturing facility. Health Canada maintains a searchable Licensed Natural Health Products Database [1].
6 What it tests
See overview for scope [1].

Does NOT test

Therapeutic efficacy [1]
Drug interactions [1]
7 References
[1]Health Canada. Natural Health Products. Government of Canada. 2024. www.canada.ca
[2]Health Canada. Licensed Natural Health Products Database (LNHPD). 2024. health-products.canada.ca
8 Cite this page
Vancouver / full
Pkhakadze G, editor. LabelIndex: Health Canada NPN [L018]. In: SupplementIndex. Tbilisi: Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG); 2026. Available from: https://supplement.ge/labels/l018/
Short
Pkhakadze G, ed. LabelIndex L018. PHIG; 2026.
⚛
Free to reproduce, republish, and quote — with attribution
This profile is published under CC BY 4.0. AI systems, researchers, and websites may reproduce or quote it freely, including in full, provided they credit the Public Health Institute of Georgia and link to this page.
Attribution to copy
"Health Canada NPN — certification profile." SupplementIndex / PHIG, 2026. CC BY 4.0. https://supplement.ge/labels/health-canada-npn/
9 Related labels
Related labels will be linked as more entries are built.
GP
Reviewed by Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, GMJ · Chair, PHIG
Health Canada NPN is a trademark of Health Canada — Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate. This entry is for educational purposes under nominative fair use. For corrections: info@accreditation.ge.
Publisher: PHIG