From toothpaste to supplements to cleaning sprays, the products lining store shelves feel simple and familiar. Pick one up, read the label, and make a purchase.
But behind each item sits a complex rulebook most consumers never see. Long before branding or marketing comes into play, companies must work through regulations that dictate ingredients, safety testing, wording, imagery, and distribution.
These hidden rules explain why some products suddenly disappear from shelves, why others carry oddly vague descriptions, and why that small print at the bottom of a package matters far more than most people realize.
Harrison Jordan, Founder of Substance Law, a Toronto-based law firm specializing in regulatory services for highly regulated industries, helps businesses handle these frameworks daily.
The Invisible Rulebook Behind Everyday Products
Jordan breaks down the invisible regulations that shape the products we use every day, revealing what happens behind the scenes before an item ever reaches a shopping cart.
- Ingredients Aren’t Chosen Freely
Walk down any shopping aisle, and the variety seems endless. Different formulas, unique blends, proprietary mixes. But ingredient selection isn’t the creative free-for-all it appears to be.
Regulatory bodies maintain lists of approved substances for different product categories, and what’s permitted in one type of product may be banned in another.
“Companies can’t simply choose ingredients based on what works best or costs least,” Jordan explains. “Every substance must be approved for that specific use. A compound perfectly legal in a cleaning product might be prohibited in a cosmetic, even at low concentrations.”
Concentration limits add another layer. An ingredient approved for use doesn’t mean unlimited use. Regulations frequently specify maximum percentages, requiring companies to reformulate if they want higher concentrations.
- Labels Are Legal Documents, Not Marketing Space
Product labels are a legal requirement, and every word matters. Font sizes, placement, specific phrasing, mandatory warnings, and ingredient order all follow strict rules that vary by product category and jurisdiction.
Health claims face particular scrutiny. A supplement can’t claim to “cure” a condition without rigorous approval processes. A cleaning product can’t promise to “eliminate all germs” without data to back it up.
“The difference between ‘helps support’ and ‘treats’ is a legal distinction rather than a marketing tactic,” says Jordan. “Companies employ legal teams specifically to review label copy because a single unapproved word can trigger regulatory action.”
- What a Product Doesn’t Say Matters More
Sometimes the most important information on a package is what’s missing. Omissions are often strategic decisions based on what companies can and cannot legally claim.
Take natural health products. A manufacturer might know their formula contains a beneficial ingredient, but can’t mention it on the label because that specific benefit hasn’t been approved for that product classification.
“Consumers typically assume if something isn’t mentioned, it’s not there,” Jordan notes. “But sometimes it’s the opposite. The ingredient is there, but the company can’t make claims about it without changing their entire regulatory pathway.”
- How a Product Is Sold Can Be Regulated Too
Where and how products are sold carries its own set of rules. Some items can only be sold in specific retail environments. Others face restrictions on online sales. Age verification requirements, purchase limits, and distribution channels all fall under regulatory oversight.
Cannabis products provide an obvious example, but the principle extends far beyond. Certain supplements face sales restrictions. Some cleaning products with specific chemical compositions require licensed retailers.
- Marketing Channels Change the Rules
A product approved for sale doesn’t automatically receive approval for all types of advertising. Marketing regulations tend to differ by channel. What’s acceptable in a print advertisement might violate rules for television. Social media promotions face their own guidelines.
“A company might have a perfectly legal product but find they can’t advertise it the way they want,” says Jordan. “Different platforms, different jurisdictions, different demographics… all these factors change what marketing language and imagery is permissible.”
Age-restricted products face particular challenges. Even when the product itself is legal for adults, advertising must avoid any appeal to minors.
- Categories Matter More Than Consumers Think
How a product is classified determines which rules apply.
A beverage classified as a “natural health product” faces different requirements than one classified as a “food product,” even if the ingredients are nearly identical.
Companies sometimes reformulate to improve the product and to fit into a different regulatory category with more favorable rules. A slight change in concentration or the addition of a single ingredient can move a product from one classification to another.
“Classification isn’t always obvious,” Jordan explains. “Is it a cosmetic or a drug? A food or a health product? These distinctions determine manufacturing requirements, testing protocols, labeling rules, and distribution channels.”
Harrison Jordan, Founder of Substance Law, commented:
“Consumers don’t always think about the regulatory frameworks governing everyday products because the system is designed to work invisibly. You pick up a bottle of vitamins or a cleaning spray and trust it’s safe, properly labeled, and sold through appropriate channels. That trust exists because of extensive regulations most people never see.
“For businesses, these rules represent protection and complexity. They ensure product safety and honest marketing, but they also create barriers that require specialized knowledge to navigate. A small labeling error can halt distribution. An unapproved claim can trigger enforcement action.
“These frameworks help consumers read between the lines. When a product makes vague claims or suddenly disappears from shelves, there’s often a regulatory story behind it. The rules shape what reaches your shopping cart long before you ever see it.”