You can verify a Natural Product Number by searching Health Canada's Licensed Natural Health Products Database (LNHPD). An NPN is eight digits, and the database can show the licensed product associated with that number along with details such as medicinal ingredients, recommended use and risk information.
Step 1: find the eight-digit NPN
Look on the Canadian product label for “NPN” followed by eight digits. Health Canada explains that licensed natural health products can be identified by this product licence number.
Step 2: open Health Canada’s database
Go to the official Licensed Natural Health Products Database. Avoid relying solely on a retailer's search result or an unofficial database when the primary government source is available.
Step 3: search by the number
Health Canada's LNHPD user guide says an NPN search uses the eight-digit number itself. The database also supports searches by product name, licence holder, ingredient and other fields, which can be useful when you do not have the number in front of you.
Step 4: match the result to the product
Do more than confirm that a number returns a result. Check that the product name and licence holder match the item you are evaluating. Then review the listed medicinal ingredients, recommended use, dose and risk information.
Step 5: understand what the database can and cannot show
The LNHPD contains products that have been issued a product licence. Health Canada's user guide notes that products still under review for a licence are not included, so the public database is not a tool for checking the progress of an application.
Why this matters for online shopping
Health Canada recommends checking the licence number when buying natural health products online. Verification takes only a few minutes and gives you primary-source information instead of relying entirely on a product page.
For the broader context, read Natural Health Products in Canada: What an NPN Means.