You do not need to become a regulatory expert to launch a supplement, but you do need to understand who is responsible for what. Here is the short version for brands selling in the United States and Mexico.
In the U.S., dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA under a framework built on current Good Manufacturing Practices, known as cGMP. cGMP does not certify that a product works; it governs how a product is made, so that what is on the label is what is in the bottle, consistently, batch after batch. A facility that is FDA-registered and operates under cGMP has documented procedures for identity, purity, strength, and composition, and keeps records that an auditor can follow.
HACCP, which stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, is a systematic approach to food safety that identifies where a process could go wrong and builds in controls. For functional foods and ingestible products, HACCP and documented Good Manufacturing Practices reduce the risk of contamination before it reaches a consumer.
If you sell in Mexico, COFEPRIS is the federal health authority whose requirements apply to how products are registered, labeled, and marketed. Selling across Mexico and the wider Latin American region means getting labeling, language, and claims right for each market, which is much easier with a manufacturer that already operates on both sides of the border.
Responsibility is shared. Your manufacturer is accountable for making the product correctly under these standards. You, as the brand owner, are accountable for the claims you make and for selling a product that fits its category. Aggressive claims are one of the fastest ways to attract regulatory attention, so keep marketing language honest and supportable.
The practical takeaway: choose a manufacturer who can show current registrations and certifications, explain their testing in plain terms, and hand you the documentation you would need if a regulator or a large retailer ever asked. Compliance handled well is invisible. Handled poorly, it becomes the only thing anyone talks about.