CLA: what the “60%” on the label refers to
CLA is made from vegetable oil and is never pure. The percentage says what share of the oil is the acid itself — and without it the milligrams mean nothing.
August 31, 2026
CLA stands for conjugated linoleic acid.
Where it comes from
It occurs naturally in the milk and meat of ruminants. In supplements it is produced industrially from vegetable oil — most often safflower or sunflower — by rearranging the double bonds in linoleic acid.
The result is an oil, not a pure substance. This is where the percentage comes in.
What 60% means
60% means six tenths of the oil's mass is conjugated linoleic acid. The rest is other fatty acids from the starting oil.
In our products:
- SlimDay — 40 mg at 60% → 24 mg of CLA
- SlimNight — 250 mg at 60% → 150 mg of CLA
If a label says “CLA 1000 mg” with no percentage, that is the weight of the oil, not of the acid, and the two are not the same thing.
The isomers
Commercial CLA is a mixture dominated by two isomers, written as c9,t11 and t10,c12. Their ratio varies between manufacturers. When a label prints it, that is extra information you can compare on; when it does not, only the percentage is left.
What the number does not say
The EU register holds no authorised health claim for conjugated linoleic acid. The figures here describe what is in the capsule — nothing further.
