Buyer's Guide

Proprietary Blends: The Supplement Industry's Biggest Transparency Problem

68% of functional mushroom products use proprietary blends that hide individual doses. Here's what they conceal, why it matters, and how to read a label properly.

Published 2026-06-01 · Updated 2026-06-09 · 7 min read

The short answer

A proprietary blend lists multiple ingredients under a single branded name with only the total weight disclosed — never the individual amounts. This is legal and common in the UK and US supplement industry. The result: it's impossible to verify whether any ingredient in the blend is present at a clinically effective dose. Cogniscore caps Transparency scores at 5.5/10 for any product using an undisclosed proprietary blend.

68%
Of functional mushroom blends in Cogniscore database use at least one proprietary blend
Cogniscore 2026
5.5/10
Maximum Transparency score for brands using undisclosed proprietary blends
Cogniscore methodology
£0
Legal accountability if a proprietary blend is chronically under-dosed
UK FSA / DSHEA
27%
Of products reviewed showed label mismatch when COA results were obtained
Cogniscore 2026

How to Spot a Proprietary Blend

The tell-tale sign is a branded blend name followed by a list of ingredients and a single total weight. Legitimate transparency looks very different — each ingredient has its own line with its own dose and extract standard.

✓ TRANSPARENT LABEL

Lion's Mane Extract

(Hericium erinaceus, fruiting body, 8:1) · Beta-glucan ≥28%

500 mg

Ashwagandha Root Extract

(Withania somnifera, KSM-66) · Withanolides ≥5%

300 mg

Rhodiola Rosea Extract

(≥3% rosavins, ≥1% salidroside)

200 mg
✗ PROPRIETARY BLEND

NeuroFocus Mushroom Blend™

Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, Turkey Tail, Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Bacopa

500 mg

⚠ Proprietary Blend Red Flags

01

Blend name instead of individual doses

Any branded blend name (e.g., "MushroomPlex™") that lists total weight but not individual amounts is a proprietary blend.

02

Long ingredient lists with a single total weight

Eight mushrooms in one capsule at "500 mg" means an average of 62.5 mg per ingredient — well below clinical range for any of them.

03

"Equivalent to X mg mushroom" language

Mushroom equivalent claims (e.g., "equivalent to 5,000 mg fresh mushroom") are a marketing convention that obscures actual extract content.

04

No extract standardisation stated

Without a stated beta-glucan %, withanolide %, or cordycepin %, the extract quality is unknown — regardless of whether the dose is disclosed.

05

No COA available

A brand unwilling to share a Certificate of Analysis has no verifiable basis for any of their label claims, blend or otherwise.

How Cogniscore Scores Proprietary Blends

Cogniscore's Transparency dimension (30% of total score) is specifically designed to penalise proprietary blend practices:

  • Full individual disclosure + COA: Transparency score 8–10/10
  • Individual doses listed, no COA: Transparency score 6–7.5/10
  • Partial disclosure (some individual, some blend): Transparency score 5–6.5/10
  • Full proprietary blend, no individual doses: Transparency score capped at 5.5/10
  • No COA, no individual doses: Transparency score 2–4/10

This scoring structure means that a product with slightly lower raw ingredient quality but full transparency will score higher than an opaque proprietary blend with premium-sounding ingredients — because the consumer can actually verify what they're buying.

Proprietary Blend Questions Answered

What is a proprietary blend in a supplement?+
A proprietary blend is a group of ingredients listed collectively on a supplement label under a single branded name (e.g., 'MushroomMatrix™ Blend' or 'NeuroFocus Complex'), with only the total weight of the entire blend disclosed — not the individual ingredient amounts. This practice is legal in the UK and US but makes it impossible for consumers to verify whether any individual ingredient is present at a clinically effective dose.
Why do supplement brands use proprietary blends?+
Brands give two justifications: (1) protecting their formulation from being copied by competitors, and (2) simplifying the label. In practice, a third reason is often the real driver: proprietary blends allow brands to include trace amounts of expensive or trendy ingredients (like lion's mane or cordyceps) while the majority of the capsule weight is made up of cheaper fillers. A blend listing 'Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps (500 mg)' might contain 450 mg of lion's mane and 25 mg each of the others — but you have no way of knowing.
Are proprietary blends illegal?+
No. In the UK, the Food Supplements Regulations 2003 require that ingredient names be listed but do not mandate individual quantities unless a nutrient reference value (NRV) exists. The FDA in the US similarly permits proprietary blends under DSHEA 1994 regulations. This regulatory gap is a structural problem with the supplement industry — transparency is voluntary, not mandated.
How does Cogniscore handle proprietary blends?+
Cogniscore treats any proprietary blend that does not disclose individual ingredient amounts as a transparency failure. Brands using fully undisclosed blends cannot score above 5.5/10 on the Transparency dimension (30% of total score) regardless of other factors. Brands with partially disclosed blends (e.g., some individual ingredients listed) receive partial credit. Full individual ingredient disclosure with COA verification is required for a Transparency score above 7.5/10.
Can I calculate the effective dose from a proprietary blend?+
No — and this is precisely the problem. If a blend total is 500 mg and contains 8 ingredients, the theoretical average per ingredient is 62.5 mg. But ingredients are not distributed equally, and in most blends the first-listed ingredient dominates. Without individual disclosure, there is no basis for calculating whether any specific ingredient reaches its clinical threshold. Any claim that a blend product 'delivers clinical doses' is unverifiable without individual amounts.
What should I look for on a supplement label instead of a proprietary blend?+
Look for individual ingredient amounts listed separately per serving — e.g., 'Lion's Mane Extract (Hericium erinaceus, fruiting body): 500 mg.' Each ingredient should have its dose and extract standard (beta-glucan %, withanolide %) clearly stated. The best brands also provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA) from an independent lab that verifies these amounts. If a label shows a blend name instead of individual doses, treat it as a transparency flag.

Sources & References

  • Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003. SI 2003/1387. legislation.gov.uk
  • FDA (2024). Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. fda.gov
  • Consumer Labs (2022). Mushroom Supplement Review — proprietary blend analysis.
  • Cogniscore (2026). Internal label transparency review across 140+ functional mushroom and adaptogen products.
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