--- title: "Regulatory guides for wellness brands | Take Friday Off" description: "Guides to developing a supplement, food or cosmetic in Australia: TGA listing, the ARTG, claims, advertising, new ingredients, stability, AICIS, cost and time." url: https://takefridayoff.com/guides updated: 2026-10-28 --- # Guides to the rules a supplement, food or cosmetic meets in Australia https://takefridayoff.com/guides · Guide · last reviewed 2026-10-22 Plain guides to the rules a wellness product meets in Australia, each checked against the regulator pages it cites: how an AUST L listing works and what it costs, what the ARTG is, what a listed medicine can claim and how it can be advertised, how a new ingredient gets permitted, in a medicine or a food, when a claim needs an assessed listing, the stability evidence the TGA expects, what a sponsor answers for, who registers with AICIS, how a supplement is exported, and what development costs and how long it takes. Every guide sits under the pathway or service it belongs to, so its breadcrumbs lead back there: the TGA listing, ARTG, claims, advertising, new ingredients, stability, sponsor, assessed listing and export guides under listed medicines, the novel foods guide under foods, the AICIS and beauty supplements guides under skincare, the labelling guide under packaging, the timeline and the costs under formulation, the GMP clearance guide under manufacturing, and pet supplements under the pathways. This page lists them all in one place. ## How the guides are written (https://takefridayoff.com/guides#how-the-guides-are-written) Each guide opens with its answer in a few lines, then the detail, step by step, then the questions people ask us and the sources it was checked against, with the date. The facts come from the regulator's own pages and the legislation: the TGA, FSANZ, AICIS, the ACCC and the Federal Register of Legislation. Where a guide quotes a figure, such as a TGA fee or a caffeine limit, it was checked on the date the guide shows. The guides are general information, not advice on a particular product. Timelines from our own records are marked as such. ## The guides (https://takefridayoff.com/guides#the-guides) - [Starting a supplement brand](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/start-a-supplement-brand): every step from the idea to the first batch on a shelf, in order, with the guide for each. - [TGA listing for a supplement](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/tga-approval): the AUST L pathway step by step, with the TGA's fees. - [The ARTG and AUST L numbers](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/artg): what the register is and what the number on the label means. - [Claims and permitted indications](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/permitted-indications): what a listed medicine can claim, and the evidence behind each claim. - [Stability testing](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/stability-testing): what the TGA expects, and how the shelf life on the label is supported. - [AICIS registration](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/aicis-registration): who registers to import or make cosmetics and their ingredients, and what it costs. - [How long it takes to develop a supplement](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-development-timeline): the stages, from our records, and what holds a launch up. - [What it costs to develop a supplement](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-development-cost): the development work, the TGA's fees, the minimum order and the cost of goods. - [Advertising a supplement](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/tga-advertising): the TGA's Advertising Code, influencers, social media and penalties. - [New ingredients](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/permissible-ingredients): how an ingredient that isn't permitted gets into the Permissible Ingredients Determination. - [Pet supplements](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/pet-supplements): when a product for animals needs APVMA registration, and when it is a pet food. - [GMP clearance](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/gmp-clearance): what a listed medicine made overseas needs from the TGA, and why supplement factories often need an inspection. - [Choosing a manufacturer](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/choosing-a-supplement-manufacturer): what a TGA licence covers and how to check it, the GMP agreement, release for supply and the standards each batch is tested to. - [The TGA sponsor](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/tga-sponsor): who is legally responsible for a listed medicine, what an overseas brand does, and the sponsor's duties. - [Assessed listed medicines](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/assessed-listed-medicines): the AUST L(A) pathway for claims stronger than the permitted list, with the TGA's fees and timeframes. - [Novel foods](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/novel-foods): when a new food ingredient needs FSANZ approval, what it costs and how long it takes. - [Exporting a supplement](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/exporting-supplements): export-only listings, the TGA's export certificates and what the importing country decides. - [Beauty supplements](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/beauty-supplements): why a skin, hair or nail supplement is a medicine, the claims it can make, collagen and the advertising rules. - [Labelling a supplement](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-labelling): what a listed medicine's label must show under TGO 116, from the main label to the warnings. ## Where to start (https://takefridayoff.com/guides#where-to-start) - **A brand of your own, from the start.** The guide to starting a supplement brand takes the steps in order, from the pathway and the permitted ingredients to the sponsor, the manufacturer, the label, the listing and the launch, and points to the guide for each. - **A supplement you want to sell as a medicine.** Start with the TGA listing guide, which covers the AUST L listing step by step with the TGA's fees, then the claims and indications guide and the stability testing guide. - **A powder, drink or bar that could be a food.** The pathways page settles whether a product is a medicine, a food or a cosmetic, and the food pathway covers the sports food, claims and label rules. - **A cream, serum or sunscreen.** The skincare page settles the claim, and the AICIS guide covers who registers and what it costs. - **A supplement for skin, hair or nails.** The beauty supplements guide covers why it is a medicine, the claims it can make and the ingredients it can use. - **A launch date and a budget.** The development timeline guide sets out the stages, from our records, and what holds a launch up; the cost guide sets out what each part of the budget covers. - **An ingredient that isn't permitted yet.** The new ingredients guide covers the TGA's application levels, fees and timeframes, and the options meanwhile. - **The label.** The labelling guide covers what TGO 116 requires, from the main label to the warnings and the transition from TGO 92. - **The marketing.** The advertising guide covers what every ad must say, what influencers can and can't do, and what the TGA can do about an ad that breaks the rules. - **A product for animals.** The pet supplements guide covers where the APVMA draws the line, the products the law excludes or lists, and what registration costs. - **A manufacturer to choose.** The guide to choosing a supplement manufacturer covers what a TGA licence covers and how to check one, the five steps a listing names, the GMP agreement and the standards each batch is tested to, with the questions to ask before you sign. - **A factory overseas.** The GMP clearance guide covers the three routes to the TGA's clearance, the evidence and the fees. - **A brand based overseas.** The sponsor guide covers who can be the Australian sponsor, how to become one and what the role involves. - **A claim the permitted list doesn't cover.** The assessed listed medicines guide covers the AUST L(A) pathway, its evidence, fees and timeframes. - **A new ingredient in a food.** The novel foods guide covers when it needs FSANZ's approval, and what the application involves. - **Selling overseas.** The export guide covers exporting a listed medicine, export-only listings and the TGA's certificates. ## Where we come in (https://takefridayoff.com/guides#where-we-come-in) We take a product through what the guides describe: the pathway at the brief, the formula inside the permitted ingredients and indications, the evidence, the stability program, the label and the listing, then we manage the manufacture. See [Friday Launch Engine™](https://takefridayoff.com/system), or [book a call](https://takefridayoff.com/contact). ## Guide pages - [TGA approval for supplements: how an AUST L listing works](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/tga-approval): TGA approval for supplements usually means an AUST L listing on the ARTG: what AUST L means, the steps, the TGO 116 labels and the 2026–27 fees. - [The ARTG: what it is and how to check a product](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/artg): ARTG search, step by step: look up an AUST L, AUST R or AUST L(A) number on the TGA's register, and see what an entry does and doesn't tell you. - [AICIS registration for cosmetics brands: who needs it and what it costs](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/aicis-registration): Cosmetic product registration in Australia: AICIS registers businesses, not products. Who must register, the 2026–27 costs, and where the TGA comes in. - [How long does it take to develop a supplement?](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-development-timeline): How long it takes to develop a supplement, from our records: 32 days from design to production order at the fastest, the stages, and what holds a launch up. - [Stability testing and shelf life for supplements: what the TGA expects](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/stability-testing): Shelf life testing for listed medicines: the stability evidence the TGA expects, real-time and accelerated studies, ongoing testing and failed results. - [Permitted indications: what a listed medicine can claim, and the evidence behind it](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/permitted-indications): What a TGA-listed medicine can claim: the permitted indications, the evidence the sponsor must hold, the label statements and the advertising rules. - [How much does it cost to develop a supplement in Australia?](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-development-cost): What a supplement costs to develop in Australia: the development stages, the TGA's 2026–27 fees, minimum orders, cost of goods and what adds to the bill. - [Permissible ingredients: getting a new ingredient approved for listed medicines](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/permissible-ingredients): How a new ingredient gets into the TGA's Permissible Ingredients Determination: IN1 to IN4 applications, the data, 2026–27 fees, timeframes and exclusivity. - [TGA advertising rules for supplements: the Code, influencers and penalties](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/tga-advertising): How the TGA's Advertising Code applies to a supplement: what counts as advertising, required statements, testimonials, influencers, social media and penalties. - [Pet supplements in Australia: APVMA registration or pet food?](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/pet-supplements): When a pet supplement needs APVMA registration and when it is a pet food: the claims test, excluded and listed products, fees, timeframes and labels. - [TGA GMP clearance: making a listed medicine overseas](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/gmp-clearance): When an overseas factory needs TGA GMP clearance for a listed medicine: the MRA, compliance verification and inspection routes, evidence, fees and renewal. - [Novel foods in Australia: when a new ingredient needs FSANZ approval](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/novel-foods): When a food or ingredient is a novel food under the Food Standards Code, how to check, the FSANZ application, its fees and timeframes, and exclusive use. - [The TGA sponsor: who is responsible for a listed medicine](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/tga-sponsor): A TGA sponsor in Australia is legally responsible for a listed medicine: who can be one, what an overseas brand does, how to become one, and the duties. - [Assessed listed medicines: AUST L(A) claims, fees and timeframes](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/assessed-listed-medicines): What an assessed listed medicine (AUST L(A)) can claim, how the TGA evaluates its efficacy, and the 2026–27 fees, timeframes and five-year data protection. - [Exporting an Australian-made supplement: export-only listings and TGA certificates](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/exporting-supplements): Exporting a supplement made in Australia: export-only ARTG listings, the TGA's CPP and CLP certificates, 2026–27 fees, and what the importing country decides. - [Beauty supplements in Australia: why a skin, hair or nail supplement is a medicine](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/beauty-supplements): Why a skin, hair or nail supplement is a TGA-listed medicine in Australia, the claims it can make, collagen and other ingredients, and the advertising rules. - [Labelling a supplement in Australia: what TGO 116 requires](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-labelling): TGA labelling requirements for supplements under TGO 116: the main label, other required information, text size, warnings, allergens and the transition. - [How to start a supplement brand in Australia: the steps from idea to shelf](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/start-a-supplement-brand): Starting a supplement brand in Australia, step by step: the pathway, ingredients and claims, the TGA sponsor, manufacturing, the label, the listing and launch. - [How to choose a supplement manufacturer in Australia](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/choosing-a-supplement-manufacturer): Choosing a supplement manufacturer in Australia: what a TGA licence covers and how to check it, sites overseas, the GMP agreement and how each batch is tested. - [Extending a supplement range: your next product, and the one after](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/extending-a-supplement-range): Supplement range extension in Australia: what each new product needs from the TGA, what carries over from your first, and how brands we work with grew. - [Reformulating a supplement: when a product has to change](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/reformulating-a-supplement): Reformulating a TGA-listed supplement: which changes make a new listing, which update yours, the stability evidence, and reformulations from our records. - [Bringing a supplement brand to Australia](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/bringing-a-supplement-brand-to-australia): Selling supplements in Australia as an overseas brand: an Australian sponsor, permitted ingredients and claims, TGA GMP clearance for the maker, and the label. - [Branded ingredients in supplements: what they bring, and what the TGA expects](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/branded-ingredients): Branded, clinically studied ingredients in supplements: why the exact preparation matters to the TGA, what to ask the supplier, the claims, and the ones we use. - [Prenatal and postnatal supplements: developing one in Australia](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/prenatal-supplement-development): Working with a prenatal supplement manufacturer: the TGA rules for pregnancy claims and warnings, taste and format, and four prenatals from our records. - [Probiotic and gut health supplements: developing one in Australia](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/probiotic-supplement-development): Working with a probiotic supplement manufacturer: the quality standard, strain names on the label, holding the count to expiry, and our probiotic work. - [Building a TGA-listed supplement brand: who does what, and who to choose](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/choosing-a-product-development-partner): Building a TGA-listed supplement brand in Australia: what a contract manufacturer, a regulatory consultant and a development partner each do, and what to ask. - [Sports supplements in Australia: food or medicine, and how to build one](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/sports-supplement-development): Working with a sports supplement manufacturer in Australia: when a sports product is a food or a TGA-listed medicine, the rules for each, and our records. - [Women's health supplements: developing one in Australia](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/womens-health-supplement-development): Working with a women's health supplement manufacturer: the TGA rules for claims, the evidence they need, and what we've built, from preconception to menopause. - [Supplement sample and trial packs: sizes, labels and the rules](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-sample-packs): Supplement sample packs, trial packs and travel packs in Australia: label rules for small packs, sampling and advertising, stability and minimums. - [Sustainable supplement packaging: recycled bottles and honest claims](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/sustainable-supplement-packaging): Sustainable supplement packaging in Australia: recycled PET bottles, what a medicine's pack must still do, and the ACCC's principles for environmental claims. - [Sleep and stress supplements: developing one in Australia](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/sleep-and-stress-supplement-development): Sleep and stress supplement formulation in Australia: the claims a listed medicine can make, melatonin and ashwagandha rules, and the products in our records. - [Eye health supplements: AREDS2 formulas and how to build one](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/eye-health-supplement-development): Eye health supplement formulation in Australia: what the AREDS2 study used and found, the eye indications a listed medicine can carry, and our AREDS2 work. - [Omega-3 and fish oil supplements: how to build one](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/omega-3-supplement-development): Fish oil supplement manufacturer guide for Australia: the TGA rules for omega-3 fish oil, the heart and brain claims, softgels, stability and our records. - [Hair growth supplements: the rules and how to build one](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/hair-growth-supplement-development): Hair growth supplement manufacturer guide for Australia: why a hair supplement is a TGA-listed medicine, the hair claims it can make, and our hair ranges. - [Food supplement registration in Australia: what applies to your product](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/supplement-registration): Food supplement registration in Australia: when a supplement is listed or registered with the TGA, when it's a food with no product registration, and cosmetics. - [Energy and focus supplements: the rules and how to build one](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/energy-and-focus-supplement-development): Energy supplement formulation in Australia: the energy and focus claims a listed medicine can make, the TGA's caffeine and guarana conditions, and our records. - [Joint supplements: the rules and how to build one](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/joint-supplement-development): Joint supplement manufacturer guide for Australia: the joint claims a listed medicine can make, the 'mild' rule, glucosamine and chondroitin, and our records. - [Immune supplements: the rules and how to build one](https://takefridayoff.com/guides/immune-supplement-development): Immune supplement manufacturer guide for Australia: the immune claims a listed medicine can make, what they can't imply, the advertising rules, and our records.