Practical A-Z guide of supplements and logistics terminology

General Supplement Industry

Term	Definition
Nutraceutical	A food-derived product intended to provide nutritional or health benefits beyond basic nutrition.
Food Supplement	A concentrated source of nutrients or other substances intended to supplement the normal diet.
Functional Food	A food containing ingredients that provide additional nutritional or physiological benefits.
Botanical	A supplement derived from plants or plant extracts.
Herbal Extract	A concentrated preparation obtained from herbs or other plants.
Adaptogen	A natural substance believed to help the body respond to physical or mental stress.
Probiotic	Live microorganisms intended to support the gut microbiome when consumed in adequate amounts.
Prebiotic	Non-digestible ingredients that support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
Postbiotic	Beneficial compounds produced by microorganisms or released after they are inactivated.
Synbiotic	A combination of probiotics and prebiotics.
Sports Nutrition	Products formulated to support athletic performance, recovery or endurance.
Functional Beverage	A drink containing ingredients intended to provide additional health or nutritional benefits.
Meal Replacement	A nutritionally formulated product designed to replace a conventional meal.
Omega-3	Essential fatty acids commonly sourced from fish or algae oils.
Collagen	A structural protein widely used in beauty, joint health and wellness supplements.
Amino Acids	The building blocks of protein, commonly used in sports nutrition and specialist supplements.

Product Formats

Term	Definition
Tablet	A compressed solid dosage form.
Capsule	A supplement enclosed within a hard or soft shell.
Soft Gel	A soft capsule typically used for oils or liquid ingredients.
Sachet	A sealed single-serve packet.
Stick Pack	A narrow single-serve sachet commonly used for powders.
Powder	A finely milled supplement formulation.
Liquid Supplement	A supplement supplied in liquid form.
Effervescent Tablet	A tablet designed to dissolve in water before consumption.
Gummies	Chewable supplement products.
Bulk Powder	Powder supplied in large commercial packs.

Warehousing

Term	Definition
Ambient Storage	Storage within a stable room-temperature warehouse environment.
Temperature-Controlled Storage	Warehousing that maintains specified temperature ranges.
Bonded Warehouse	A customs-approved warehouse where imported goods may be stored before duties are paid.
Quarantine Area	A designated storage area for products awaiting inspection or approval.
Bulk Storage	Storage of goods in large quantities.
Pallet Storage	Products stored on pallets within warehouse racking or floor locations.
Racked Storage	Storage using warehouse racking systems.
Overflow Storage	Temporary additional warehouse capacity used during peak demand.
Cross Docking	Moving products directly from inbound to outbound transport with minimal storage.
Warehouse Management System (WMS)	Software used to control warehouse operations, inventory and traceability.

Inventory

Term	Definition
Batch Number	A unique identifier assigned to a production run.
Lot Number	An identifier used to group products manufactured together.
SKU	A Stock Keeping Unit used to identify individual products.
FEFO	First Expired, First Out stock rotation.
FIFO	First In, First Out stock rotation.
Cycle Count	A scheduled inventory count of selected stock.
Stock Rotation	Managing inventory to ensure older stock is dispatched first where appropriate.
Inventory Accuracy	The degree to which physical stock matches inventory records.
Stock Ageing	Monitoring how long inventory has remained in storage.
Traceability	The ability to track a product throughout the supply chain.

Quality & Compliance

Term	Definition
BRCGS	A globally recognised food safety and quality standard for storage and distribution.
HACCP	Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, a preventative food safety system.
Food Safety Culture	The attitudes and behaviours that support safe food handling throughout an organisation.
CAPA	Corrective and Preventive Action process used to investigate and prevent issues.
Non-Conformance	A failure to meet a specified requirement or standard.
Corrective Action	Action taken to eliminate the cause of an identified issue.
Internal Audit	An audit conducted by the organisation itself to verify compliance.
External Audit	An independent assessment carried out by a customer or certification body.
Pest Management	Systems used to prevent and monitor pests within food-grade facilities.
Cross-Contamination	The unintended transfer of contaminants between products or environments.

Imports & Customs

Term	Definition
Customs Clearance	The process of obtaining permission for goods to enter or leave a country.
Import Duty	Tax payable on imported goods.
Commodity Code	A classification code used for customs purposes.
Incoterms®	International rules defining responsibilities between buyers and sellers in global trade.
Bill of Lading	A document issued by a shipping line acknowledging receipt of cargo.
Commercial Invoice	A document describing goods for customs and payment purposes.
Packing List	A detailed list of items within a shipment.
Certificate of Origin	A document stating where goods were produced.
Demurrage	Charges incurred when containers remain at port beyond the allowed free time.
Detention	Charges incurred when containers are returned late after collection.

Transport & Distribution

Term	Definition
Container Devanning	Unloading goods from a shipping container.
Palletisation	Arranging products onto pallets for storage or transport.
Last Mile Delivery	The final stage of delivery to the end customer.
Freight Forwarder	A company arranging transport on behalf of customers.
LTL (Less Than Truckload)	Shared transport for smaller shipments.
FTL (Full Truckload)	A shipment occupying an entire vehicle.
POD (Proof of Delivery)	Evidence that goods have been successfully delivered.
Lead Time	The total time from order placement to delivery.
Reverse Logistics	The movement of returned goods back through the supply chain.
Carrier	A company responsible for transporting goods.

Ecommerce & Fulfilment

Term	Definition
Pick & Pack	Selecting products and packing customer orders for dispatch.
Third-Party Logistics (3PL)	A specialist company providing outsourced logistics services.
Contract Packing	Value-added services such as repacking, labelling or kitting.
Kitting	Combining multiple products into a single saleable unit.
Amazon FBA	Amazon's Fulfilment by Amazon service.
FBM	Fulfilment by Merchant, where the seller fulfils orders directly.
Subscription Fulfilment	Preparing recurring customer orders on a scheduled basis.
Returns Processing	Managing goods returned by customers.
Retail-Ready Packaging	Packaging prepared to retailer specifications.
Order Accuracy	The percentage of orders fulfilled correctly without errors.