PlainVitamins

Cod Liver Oil

by Swanson · softgel capsule · 250 softgels

  • Off the market since July 2017 (NIH)
  • UPC 0 87614 01332 9
  • DSLD label 12114
  • Serving 1 softgel

Cod Liver Oil by Swanson lists 7 ingredients, 7 with an amount per serving of 1 softgel, such as 1,250 IU of vitamin A USP, 135 IU (3.38 mcg) of vitamin D USP and 350 mg of ecoMarine norwegian cod liver oil. Its current label entered the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database on October 1, 2012.

What is in Cod Liver Oil?

Each row as the label prints it, per serving of 1 softgel. The capsule beside an amount places it among every product in the NIH database that lists the same ingredient: the bar is the middle half of their amounts, the line in it the median, the whiskers the 10th and 90th percentiles; the green tick is the FDA Daily Value and the red dashed tick the adult upper limit (IOM).

Cod Liver Oil: Supplement Facts rows against the market (DSLD label 12114, January 2026 release)
IngredientAmount% DVAmong products listing it
Vitamin A USPas ecoMarine(R) Norwegian cod liver oilVitamin A USP (Form: from ecoMarine(R) Norwegian cod liver oil)1,250 IU25%Vitamin A in Cod Liver Oil against 5,772 products1,250 IU per serving; the middle half of products list 2,000 IU to 5,000 IU, the median 4,000 IU.1,250 IU

81% of 5,772 products listing vitamin A give more (median 4,000 IU). Per day at the most servings: 3,750 IU.

Vitamin D USPas ecoMarine(R) Norwegian cod liver oilVitamin D USP (Form: from ecoMarine(R) Norwegian cod liver oil)135 IU (3.38 mcg)34%Vitamin D in Cod Liver Oil against 14,175 products3.38 mcg per serving; the middle half of products list 10 mcg to 25 mcg, the median 15 mcg.DV 20 mcgUL 100 mcg3.38 mcg

91% of 14,175 products listing vitamin D give more (median 15 mcg). Per day at the most servings: 10.13 mcg.

ecoMarine Norwegian Cod Liver Oil350 mg
Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids91 mgOmega-3 in Cod Liver Oil against 2,714 products91 mg per serving; the middle half of products list 230 mg to 1,000 mg, the median 500 mg.91 mg

89% of 2,714 products listing omega-3 give more (median 500 mg). Per day at the most servings: 273 mg.

Eicosapentaenoic Acid31.5 mgEPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) in Cod Liver Oil against 3,134 products31.5 mg per serving; the middle half of products list 120 mg to 590 mg, the median 300 mg.31.5 mg

94% of 3,134 products listing EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) give more (median 300 mg). Per day at the most servings: 94.5 mg.

Docosahexaenoic Acid40.6 mgDHA in Cod Liver Oil against 3,627 products40.6 mg per serving; the middle half of products list 104 mg to 400 mg, the median 232 mg.40.6 mg

93% of 3,627 products listing DHA give more (median 232 mg). Per day at the most servings: 121.8 mg.

Other Omega-3 Fatty Acids18.9 mg

Source: NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database, label 12114 (entered October 1, 2012), version 9.4.0. See the label on DSLD. Amounts are what the maker printed; DSLD does not test products. Daily Values: the FDA's Daily Value page.

Is that a lot?

The rows in the top or bottom tenth of the products that list the same ingredient, and any above the adult upper limit at the most servings a day the directions give:

  • 91% of the 14,175 products that print an amount of vitamin D list more than its 3.38 mcg (135 IU) of vitamin D (median 15 mcg (600 IU)).
  • 94% of the 3,134 products that print an amount of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) list more than its 31.5 mg of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) (median 300 mg).
  • 93% of the 3,627 products that print an amount of DHA list more than its 40.6 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (filed by NIH under DHA) (median 232 mg).

The NIH database records 3 servings a day from the label's directions; its % Daily Values are for adults and children 4 or more years of age. The directions as printed are further down this page.

The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is the most of a nutrient per day, from food, water and supplements together, that is likely to pose no risk for almost all adults (Institute of Medicine, 2011). It does not apply under medical supervision. This page compares labels; it is not medical advice.

Sources: amounts from the DSLD label; Daily Values from 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv); adult upper limits from the Institute of Medicine's DRI summary tables (2011). How positions are computed.

Which products have the closest formulas?

The products whose ingredient lists overlap most with Cod Liver Oil's, rare ingredients counting for more.

Source: ingredient lists of every product's current label in DSLD (version 9.4.0); similarity weights each shared ingredient by how rare it is.

What does the label say about taking it?

Quoted from the label as DSLD transcribed it: the maker's words, including any claim about what the product does, which the FDA has not evaluated and PlainVitamins does not endorse.

Directions
SUGGESTED USE: As a dietary supplement, take one softgel three times per day with water and food.
Warnings
DO NOT USE IF SEAL IS BROKEN.
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
Allergens and what it does not contain
Solvent free.
Storage
STORE IN A COOL, DRY PLACE. DO NOT REFRIGERATE.

Source: label statements in DSLD label 12114.

What else is on the label?

Other ingredients: Gelatin, Glycerin, purified Water.

Seals and symbols as the label prints them (the maker's; a certifier's own list confirms a seal): GUARANTEED PURITY & POTENCY; ecoMarine(R) Marine Oil.

How many labels does Cod Liver Oil have?

One label is on file, entered on October 1, 2012.

  1. Label 12114 (current) Entered October 1, 2012 · off the market July 25, 2017 · 250 softgels · UPC 0 87614 01332 9

DSLD also links this label to: Cod Liver Oil (image difference, same product), Cod Liver Oil (image difference, same product).

Source: DSLD label entry and market events, version 9.4.0 (labels entered through September 25, 2025).

Who makes it?

The label names SWANSON HEALTH PRODUCTS (distributor), Fargo, ND. All Swanson products.

Where next?