If a bottle of supplement pills says it contains this vitamin or that mineral, how do we know that it’s anything more than sawdust ? We have to take the manufacturers’ word for it. We have no way of knowing what’s really in the pills and capsules.
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Check this site @AnnieG for some info on regulations for safety and quality.
There’s random surveillance on vitamin supplements to make sure all is well.
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I was surprised that TGA page only referenced
AUST R numbers are for registered medicines that the TGA has evaluated for safety, quality and efficacy.
AUST L numbers are for low-risk listed medicines, such as most vitamin products, that the TGA regulates for safety and quality only.
but not L(A).
I have been taking Swisse Krill for years, It recently got new labelling and recommended dosages, and was ‘graduated’ from L to L(A).
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The other risk is knowing what doses are safe. More isn’t better and can easily lead to toxicity if one has enough within their normal diet (which is almost everyone, unless one has been diagnosed with a deficiency). A leading neuroscientist has issued warnings about unnecessary/overconsumption of ‘supplements’:
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It’s a great question.In the past i have asked Choice doing more testing on vitamins and minerals but basically told it was not possible.I have no doubt the majority of these pills don’t do as they say,and you notice it seems like every couple of weeks they have a new one that hits the shelves how is that possible more money to line the pockets of these companies
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Often not a new ingredient/compound/additive. Just a new product label and branding. Accompanied with claims this new wonder discovery (altered blend in reality) “may” assist to relieve, improve or change some conditions. Not unusual for these conditions to be newly discovered problems we all suffer from. And with everyday symptoms we all have but fail to recognise as conditions with potentially serious outcomes if we choose to ignore them. Those with financial investments in any of the major suppliers of such wonder products would fully agree. Their wealth is at risk when the marketing is ignored. 
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New product label and branding i highly doubt that mark_m
The suggestion is brands are continually reinventing the products they sell.
One example:
I’m amazed at just how useful Magnesium is, although the marketing seemed to offer details of only 3 of the 4 products illustrated on the same page. Wishful thinking?
The arrival of some genuinely new chemical compound/substance ( patent protected) it is suggested is far less common.
It’s an aside to the focus of the OP on whether consumers can have any confidence concerning the actual ingredients.
