Table 2.

ACCLAIM system for rapid evaluation of joint health product labels¹⁵

A	A name you recognize?	Products manufactured by an established company that provides educational materials for veterinarians or other consumers are prerable to joint health products manufactured by a new company
C	Clinical experience	Companies that support clinical research and have their products used in clinical trials that are published in peer-reviewed journals to which veterinarians have access are more likely to have a quality product
C	Contents	All ingredients should be clearly indicated on the label
L	Label claims	Label claims that sound too good to be true probably are. Products with realistic label claims based on results of scientific studies, rather than testimonials, are more likely to be reputable. Products with illegal claims (claim to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent a disease) should be avoided
A	Administration recommendations	Dosing instructions should be accurate and easy to follow; it should be easy to calculate the amount of active ingredient administered per dose per day
I	Identification of lot	A lot identification number or some other tracking system indicates that a premarket or postmarket surveillance system exits to ensure product quality. In addition, companies that have voluntarily instituted current good manufacturing practices and other quality-control or quality-assurance techniques (eg, tamper-resistant packaging of identification of individual tablets or capsules) provide evidence of long-term investment in the product and company
M	Manufacturer information	Basic company information should be clearly stated on the label. Preferably, this should include a Web site or details for contacting customer support

From Oke S. Oral joint supplements. The Horse 2008; May 1; with permission.