Orbal
About the Catalogue · Founded 2021

Origin Notes

01
The Starting Point

How Orbal came to exist

Editorial portrait of the Orbal catalogue founder at a writing desk, surrounded by ingredient sourcing files and open notebooks, under warm studio lighting

Orbal did not begin as a commercial project. It began as a personal document — a spreadsheet kept by someone who had grown frustrated with the opacity of men's supplement listings. The column headers were: ingredient source, concentration per serving, third-party verification status, and whether the packaging reflected the actual composition.

Most entries in that early spreadsheet failed at least one column. Suppliers were unnamed. Concentrations were given as ranges. Third-party status was implied but never documented. The packaging often described broad wellness outcomes without detailing what was actually inside.

The catalogue went public in 2021 with fourteen entries. It has grown since then through a consistent process: no entry is listed unless a current certificate of composition is on file, sourcing region is documented, and the ingredient profile can be traced to published nutritional research. Entries are removed when documentation lapses — typically at the quarterly review.

Orbal is not affiliated with any supplement manufacturer, distributor, or wellness network. It accepts no funding from formulation producers. The editorial decisions are internal, and the selection criteria have not changed since the first fourteen entries.

02
Editorial Standards

Four principles that shape every entry

I

Ingredient transparency

Every listed formulation carries a breakdown of active ingredients with documented concentrations per serving. Proprietary blend structures that obscure individual component quantities are not accepted into the catalogue.

II

Sourcing documentation

Active ingredients are sourced from documented suppliers. Each batch must be accompanied by a certificate of composition. Sourcing prioritises suppliers whose facilities maintain food-grade processing standards, with region noted for every active component.

III

Independent verification

Ingredient profiles are selected based on published nutritional research, and batches undergo independent verification for quality and labelling accuracy. No formulation is represented as having undergone specialist assessment without documented evidence on file.

IV

No outcome claims

The catalogue documents composition, not outcomes. Where nutrient role descriptions appear, they use EU-registered permitted claims only. Orbal does not assert that any formulation will produce a specific result for any individual.

03
The Editorial Team

Who maintains the catalogue

The Orbal catalogue is maintained by a small editorial team based in London. The team comprises a qualified nutrition professional, a sourcing researcher with a background in food-grade supply chain documentation, and two editors focused on published nutritional research review.

None of the team members hold financial interests in any listed formulation or its manufacturer. The quarterly review process is documented internally, and the review log is available on request to institutional readers.

Correspondence regarding a specific catalogue entry — including challenges to its documentation status — is directed to the editorial inbox. The team responds to sourcing enquiries within five working days.

Two editorial team members reviewing printed ingredient sourcing documentation at a meeting table with natural daylight coming from a large window Close-up of a structured catalogue spreadsheet on a laptop screen showing supplement ingredient columns, opened in a quiet workspace
2021
Year Founded
48
Active Entries
4x
Annual Review Cycles
100%
Independent Editorial
04
Scope & Limitations

What the Orbal catalogue is not

Orbal is an independent wellness resource focused on everyday nutrition and active lifestyle practices for men. The content is not affiliated with any governmental or institutional body.

The catalogue does not replace personalised guidance. We recommend speaking with a qualified wellness or nutrition professional before introducing any supplement to your daily routine, particularly if you have specific dietary requirements.

The content is informational and editorial in nature. It describes composition and sourcing — not outcomes. No entry in the catalogue should be read as an endorsement of a specific result for any individual.

"A catalogue that names what is absent is more useful than one that exaggerates what is present."

— Editorial Position Note, Orbal 2021
05
Explore Further

Read how entries are assessed

The methodology page details the full process — from initial submission review to quarterly re-verification and the criteria for removal from the active catalogue.

Read Methodology Browse the Range