Is lactoferrin legal to sell as a supplement in the UK?

Yes. Bovine lactoferrin is an authorised novel food in Great Britain, listed on the assimilated Union list of authorised novel foods. Unlike many longevity ingredients, its regulatory position is settled rather than pending. Authorisation carries conditions of use, including maximum levels by food category, which are set out in the register entry.

Does lactoferrin have authorised health claims in the UK?

No. There are no authorised GB or EU health claims for lactoferrin. Claims about immunity, gut health or iron status on a lactoferrin product are not authorised. Where a combination product carries a lawful claim, that claim belongs to an added vitamin or mineral, not to the lactoferrin.

Is lactoferrin suitable for people avoiding dairy?

Bovine lactoferrin is isolated from cow's milk, so it is a milk-derived ingredient and must be declared as an allergen. It is not suitable for vegans, and anyone with a milk allergy should avoid it. People who avoid dairy for lactose reasons should note that lactoferrin is a protein rather than a sugar, but the allergen declaration still applies.

What dose of lactoferrin do studies use?

Published human trials have used a wide range, commonly between 100 and 400 milligrams per day, over periods from a few weeks to several months, in adult populations. We describe study designs rather than summarising outcomes, because lactoferrin has no authorised health claims in the UK.

What should I look for on a lactoferrin label?

Milligrams of lactoferrin per serving rather than per capsule, the form and iron saturation, purity as a percentage, the milk allergen declaration, whether an independent laboratory verified identity and purity, and whether the brand makes health claims that are not authorised.

Best Lactoferrin Supplement UK (2026): Apolactoferrin, Purity and What the Label Should Tell You

Q: What does apolactoferrin mean?

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding protein, and apolactoferrin is the low iron-saturation form, meaning most of its iron-binding sites are unoccupied. Holo-lactoferrin is the iron-saturated form. Most lactoferrin sold as a supplement is apolactoferrin at roughly 10 to 20 percent iron saturation. A label that does not state its form or saturation is telling you less than it should.

Home / Guides / Best Lactoferrin Supplement UK

Best lactoferrin supplement UK: purity, iron saturation and what the label owes you.

Lactoferrin is one of the few ingredients in this category with a settled UK regulatory position — and one of the easiest to sell badly, because most labels omit the two numbers that actually matter.

Updated 20 Aug 2026First-party guideNo health claims made

UK status The product Apo vs holo Research Label checklist FAQs

UK regulatory status

Bovine lactoferrin is an authorised novel food in GB

This is worth stating plainly because it is unusual in this category. Bovine lactoferrin sits on the assimilated Union list of authorised novel foods for Great Britain — assessed, authorised, and carrying defined conditions of use including maximum levels by food category. Compare that with NMN, where a GB application is still under assessment, or ashwagandha, where the FSA is running a risk assessment. Lactoferrin's position is settled.

What authorisation does not give you is claims. There are no authorised GB or EU health claims for lactoferrin. Immunity, gut and iron claims on a lactoferrin product are not authorised, and we do not make them here or on our label.

Disclosure, up front: we are Vitality Supplements and we sell the lactoferrin discussed below. We do not rank competitors inside a comparison we control — that practice is misleading wherever you see it. What this page does instead is show you how to read any lactoferrin label, including other brands', and be specific about what ours does and does not declare.

Our lactoferrin, described honestly

Single ingredient · 60 capsules

Lactoferrin 250mg

250mg per servingBovine, milk-derived60 capsulesSingle ingredientUK manufactured

250mg of bovine lactoferrin per serving, as a single-ingredient capsule with no blend padding. It is third-party tested by an independent ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory for identity and purity.

Stated plainly: lactoferrin is isolated from cow's milk, so this is a milk-derived product, declared as an allergen, and not suitable for vegans or anyone with a milk allergy. If you want the iron-saturation percentage or purity figure before buying, ask us and we will give you the current batch's specification rather than a marketing number.

View Lactoferrin 250mg

Apolactoferrin vs holo-lactoferrin: the distinction most labels skip

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding protein. How much iron is actually bound to it defines the form, and it is the single most useful thing a label can tell you.

Form	Iron saturation	What that means
Apolactoferrin	Low — typically around 10–20%	Most binding sites unoccupied. This is what the great majority of supplement lactoferrin is, whether or not the label says so.
Holo-lactoferrin	High — near-saturated	Binding sites largely occupied by iron. Sold less often, and priced differently.
Unstated	Not declared	Extremely common. It almost always means apolactoferrin, but a brand that will not state it is a brand telling you how much detail it thinks you deserve.

A second number worth asking for is purity — lactoferrin content as a percentage of the powder. "250mg of lactoferrin" and "250mg of a lactoferrin preparation" are not the same statement, and only one of them is a dose.

What the research looks like

Because lactoferrin has no authorised health claims, we describe study designs and leave conclusions to your own reading. Published human trials have used doses commonly in the region of 100–400mg per day, over periods ranging from a few weeks to several months, in adult populations, with randomised placebo-controlled designs in the stronger studies. Trial populations vary widely across the literature, which is one reason no claim has been authorised from it. Search lactoferrin on PubMed and read dose, duration, population and funding source before you read anyone's summary — including a supplement brand's.

How to read any lactoferrin label

01 · Milligrams per serving, not per capsule. Check how many capsules make the stated serving before comparing prices.

02 · Purity as a percentage. Lactoferrin content of the powder, not the weight of the powder.

03 · Form and iron saturation. Apo or holo, and the percentage. If it is absent, ask.

04 · Milk allergen declaration. Bovine lactoferrin is milk-derived. A label that hides this is failing a legal duty, not just a courtesy.

05 · Independent testing. Identity and purity verified by an accredited third-party laboratory, not an in-house certificate.

06 · Claims discipline. Immunity, gut and iron claims are not authorised for lactoferrin in the UK. Their presence tells you how a brand treats rules generally.

Questions people actually ask

Is lactoferrin legal to sell in the UK?

Yes. Bovine lactoferrin is an authorised novel food in Great Britain, on the assimilated Union list, with defined conditions of use including maximum levels by food category. Its position is settled, unlike several other ingredients in this category.

What does apolactoferrin mean?

The low iron-saturation form — most iron-binding sites unoccupied, typically around 10–20% saturated. Holo-lactoferrin is the saturated form. Most supplement lactoferrin is apolactoferrin whether or not the label says so.

Does lactoferrin have authorised health claims?

No. There are no authorised GB or EU health claims for lactoferrin. Where a combination product carries a lawful claim, that claim belongs to an added vitamin or mineral in the formula.

Is it suitable if I avoid dairy?

Bovine lactoferrin is isolated from cow's milk and must be declared as a milk allergen. It is not suitable for vegans, and anyone with a milk allergy should avoid it. It is a protein rather than a sugar, but the allergen declaration stands regardless.

What dose do studies use?

Commonly in the region of 100–400mg per day across published adult trials, over weeks to months. We describe designs rather than outcomes — there are no authorised claims to summarise into.

What should I look for on a label?

Milligrams per serving, purity percentage, form and iron saturation, the milk allergen declaration, independent laboratory verification, and whether the brand is making claims it is not allowed to make.