E-commerce
June 28, 2026
"Does this magnesium cure my cramps?" "Can I take your gummies with my anticoagulant?" "Which supplement to lose 5 kg before summer?" On a DTC supplement store, these messages arrive every day. A well-intentioned agent responding by gut feeling transforms a commercial question into unauthorized medical advice.
The assistance in choosing food supplements must inform about the product as formulated and authorized, refer to a healthcare professional as soon as the question goes beyond this scope, and never paraphrase a claim outside the EFSA register. EFSA recalls that the person responsible for placing the product on the market guarantees the safety of the supplement (EFSA, food supplements).
This guide #147 covers customer questions, authorized claims, disclaimers, cautious bots, and escalations. Distinct from regulated products (#119) (cross-cutting framework) and cosmetics (#146): here operational supplement advice with strict limits.
Summary
Why is recommending a supplement online riskier than a standard product?
The customer buys a promise of well-being. They expect a personalized response regarding their health. Your customer support is neither a doctor nor a pharmacist.
DTC supplement specificities
Regulated claims: EU register, exact wording
Daily dose: label only, no adjustment by the agent
Interactions: medications, pregnancy, pathologies
Influencers: customer mentions TikTok, expects support validation
Medicine boundary: therapeutic claim = ANSM/DGCCRF risk
France: placing on the market
Any placing on the FR market requires online declaration to the DGCCRF via Téléicare before marketing (DGCCRF, Téléicare). Support does not compensate for a non-compliant label.
DTC Example
Vitamin brand, agent replies "yes for chronic fatigue" on a ticket. Customer screenshot → report. REG-SUPP macros + training: zero unauthorized claim incidents in the 8 months post-deployment.
How does it differ from the general regulated products guide?
Two complementary levels, not redundant.
Regulated Products (#119)
Regulated (#119) covers cosmetics, food, and supplements: CAN/CANNOT, REG-* macros, agent training, locked bot. This guide #147 delves deeper into the supplement vertical: assistance in choosing, cautious quiz, range comparison, pre-purchase tickets with a focus on well-being.
Cosmetics (#146)
Cosmetics (#146): topical use, INCI, skin routine. Supplements: ingestion, Regulation 1924/2006, Directive 2002/46/EC, statements "do not exceed the daily dose".
Promise #147
Answer "which one to choose" questions quickly without prescribing, compare two SKUs based on facts, route to doctor/pharmacist at the right time.
What questions do customers ask about dietary supplements?
Mapping supplement support questions prioritizes bot intents and macros.
Pre-purchase product choice
« Magnesium bisglycinate vs citrate: which one is for me? »
« Can I combine your 3 products? »
« Suitable for vegetarians / gluten-free / halal? »
« Can a 12-year-old child take it? »
« How long before seeing an effect? »
Usage and safety
« Dosage: 1 or 2 capsules? » (→ label only)
« With my treatment X? » (→ healthcare professional handoff)
« Pregnancy / breastfeeding OK? »
« Stomach ache after taking »
Gorgias Tags
`supplement_choice`, `supplement_interaction`, `supplement_adverse`, `supplement_claim_question`. See pre-purchase objections, misunderstood products.
What claims exactly can the support cite?
The EU allegations register is the only source of health claims to support. Paraphrasing is prohibited.
EFSA / EU Claim Rules
Exact wording: copy validated label/PDP
Conditions of use: dose, target population displayed
No therapeutic claims: cures, treats, prevents disease
No UGC: customer testimonial ≠ authorized claim
Examples of safe vs. prohibited formulation
Authorized if on PDP: "Contributes to the normal function of the immune system" (vitamin C, register conditions). Prohibited: "Boosts your defenses against cancer", "Makes you lose 5 kg", "Replaces your antidepressant".
Comparison of two products
Compare galenic form, dose per capsule, ingredients listed, respective authorized claims. No "A is more effective for you" without an individual medical basis.
Macro comparison
"[Product A] contains [X] mg of [nutrient] per dose. Authorized claim: [PDP text]. [Product B]: [Y] mg, claim: [PDP text]. To choose according to your health situation, consult a professional."
Which disclaimers and REG-SUPP macros should be deployed on a daily basis?
The supplement disclaimers guide the agent and bot on each sensitive conversation.
Mandatory notices to recall
Do not exceed the recommended daily dose
Keep out of reach of young children
Does not substitute for a varied and balanced diet
Our advisors are not healthcare professionals
Macro library (Gorgias)
REG-SUPP-001: standard pre-response disclaimer. REG-SUPP-002: drug interaction → doctor/pharmacist. REG-SUPP-003: pregnancy/breastfeeding → mandatory medical advice. REG-SUPP-004: adverse effect → stop + pro + feedback + quality. REG-SUPP-005: factual product comparison. See support templates.
Placement
Macro footer, bot home, supplement page hub, post-purchase usage email. Markets: legal-validated translation, not DeepL alone.
How to offer decision support without prescribing?
A cautious supplements quiz directs to a SKU without diagnostic or personalized promise.
Authorized questions (5-6 max)
General objective: energy, sleep, immunity, sport (closed list)
Preferred format: capsule, powder, gummy
Exclusions: gluten-free, vegan, caffeine-free
Health red flag: pregnancy, treatment, pathology → handoff, no recommendation
Age: < 18 → children's products only if the PDP provides for it
Mapping logic
Objective "sleep" + melatonin-free if not sold → filter SKUs tagged `sleep_support` with visible PDP claims. Result: "According to your criteria, here is [Product]: [authorized claim]. Consult a professional if you are undergoing treatment."
What the quiz does not do
Personalized dosage, guaranteed effect duration, 4-product stack without interaction check. See product quiz, bundles.
How to manage medications, pregnancy, and chronic conditions?
These topics trigger an immediate handoff, with no bot or junior agent exceptions.
Drug interactions
Anticoagulants + vitamin K, thyroid + iodine, PPIs + magnesium: support never validates the combination. Macro REG-SUPP-002 + "Discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist using the INCI list from the product sheet."
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Unless there is an explicit PDP mention regulations-approved for this population, response: prior medical advice is mandatory. No "our pregnant customers take...".
Pathologies
Diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure, thyroid disorder: refer to doctor/dietitian. Do not suggest stopping medical treatment.
Sport and weight loss
Unauthorized performance or weight loss claims = polite refusal + PDP claims only. Care Europe reminds: supplement vs. drug classification under ANSM control if formulation is borderline (Care Europe, supplements France 2026).
How do you configure the add-on chatbot on Shopify?
The supplement chatbot distributes approved text, not generative health advice.
Locked corpus
PDP: composition, dose, claims, warning pictograms
REG-SUPP macros validated by legal
Range comparison guide (factual, not relative efficacy)
Metafields: vegan, gluten_free, age_min
Intents and guardrails
Auto OK: `ingredient_list`, `daily_dose_label`, `claim_cite_pdp`, `format_compare`, `certification_check`. Handoff: `drug_interaction`, `pregnancy`, `adverse_reaction`, `diagnose_symptom`, `dosage_change`, `weight_loss_promise`. Blocklist: cures, heals, treats, prescribes, 100% effective. Confidence 95%+ on claims; otherwise "check product sheet" + agent.
Governance alignment
See bot governance (#142), hallucinations (#123), bot limits (#124).
How do I handle an adverse event reported by a customer?
An adverse event report requires empathy, stop usage, quality escalation, and no minimization.
Support Procedure (6 steps)
Empathy: "I am sorry you are experiencing this"
Advise immediate discontinuation of the product
Recommend consulting a doctor if symptoms persist or are severe
Collect: SKU, batch number, date taken, symptom description, photos if applicable
Offer return according to policy + commercial gesture if policy provides for it
Escalate to the quality manager within 24 hours for traceability
Nutrivigilance
Regulatory manager assesses adverse event report to Anses if severe. Support documents verbatim and batch number, does not comment on medical causality.
Macro REG-SUPP-004
Includes stop usage, doctor, return, and batch number requested. No "it's normal for the first few days" without official PDP text.
What errors in supporting documents trigger disputes and reports?
Five supplement anti-patterns to ban in training.
1. Validating a TikTok claim
"Yes, the influencer is right, it detoxes the liver" without any registered health claim.
2. Adjusting the dosage
"Take 3 capsules if you are tired" vs. label dosage.
3. Stacking products without caution
Recommending 4 cumulative supplements without mentioning the risk of nutrient overdose.
4. Minimizing side effects
"Continue for another week" regarding headaches or nausea.
5. Bot inventing an ingredient
"Lactose-free" hallucination when the product description page mentions milk. See marketing customer service alignment, quality of responses.
How does Qstomy secure the process of choosing supplements?
Qstomy combines product guidance and health safeguards for DTC supplement brands.
Supplement Features
Locked PDP Corpus: official claims and dosage
Prudent Quiz: red flags → automatic handoff
SKU Comparison: factual, cited claims
Disclaimer Injection: REG-SUPP on sensitive intents
Health Handoff: pregnancy, medication, symptoms
Audit Export: claim conversations for QA
Quantified DTC Scenario
Micronutrition brand, 520 conv/month, 35% usage/selection questions. Qstomy deployment: 5-question quiz, health blocklist, synced macros. After 6 months: L1 comparison tickets -41%, health handoff 100% compliant based on 50-thread audit, zero unauthorized claims by agents, quiz completers conversion +18%.
Explore AI support, Shopify, request a demo.
What are the operational playbooks for supplements support?
Playbook 1: REG-SUPP macros (2 h)
Write 5 macros section 5. Regulatory manager validation. Publish Gorgias + bot corpus.
Playbook 2: prudent choice quiz (3 h)
5 questions section 6, red flag handoff, objective mapping → tagged SKU. Result disclaimer. Test 10 paths including 3 health handoffs.
Playbook 3: 1 h agent training
CAN/CANNOT supplements, 10 prohibited scenarios, 90% quiz. Certification before solo tickets `supplement_*`.
Playbook 4: monthly audit 30 conversations
Score: exact PDP claim, disclaimer present, handoff if health. 1 macro or corpus fix/week if discrepancy.
Playbook 5: adverse effect procedure (45 min)
6-step document section 9. Macro REG-SUPP-004. Quality contact + batch sheet template.
Useful linking
Providing good advice on a supplement is not about guiding a prescription: it is about helping to read the product sheet and knowing when to hand over to the doctor.
Enzo
June 28, 2026
