Shopify Trust & Safety on herbal products

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A merchant received a notice from Shopify requiring removal or modification of health claims related to herbal products on their site. The main concern centers on unclear enforcement guidelines — specifically, what constitutes acceptable health claims and which sources Shopify considers authoritative.

Example cited:
A Moringa body cream listing claims it “reduces inflammation,” which mirrors language from WebMD stating Moringa “might help decrease inflammation.” The merchant questions whether the issue is the absence of qualifying language like “may” or “might.”

Key frustrations:

  • Lack of specific, concrete guidelines on permissible health claims
  • No direct contact method (phone support) for quick clarification
  • Uncertainty about which sources are deemed “trusted” by Shopify

One commenter suggested switching from Shopify Payments to an alternative processor (Organic Payment Gateways) to avoid similar compliance issues. Another response appears unrelated to the topic.

Status: The discussion remains unresolved with no official Shopify guidance provided.

Summarized with AI on October 28. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Recently, we were sent an email from Shopify telling us that we needed remove or alter health claims on our website regarding the natural products we sell.

My question is that EXACTLY are the specific guidelines when it comes to this type of information? In other words,

if the information I a using is backed by “trusted” sites like WebMD, etc, how does Shopify then resolve this? Allow me to give you a specific example:

We have a Moringa-based body cream that can be found here:
https://sambatree.com/products/moringa-black-seed-whipped-combo-butter-1?_pos=24&_sid=66eb5a4a4&_ss=r

Enriched with antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Reduces inflammation.

Gentle exfoliation, removes dead skin cells.

Retains essential moisture and prevents water loss. Aids in wound healing and restoring skin.

Now, when I go to WebMD, this is what it says regarding Moringa:
"Moringa is a plant native to India and other countries. It contains proteins, vitamins, and minerals, making it useful to fight malnutrition.

Moringa is an important food source in some parts of the world. It can be grown cheaply and easily, and retains much of its nutritional value when dried. As an antioxidant, it seems to help protect cells from damage. Moringa might also help decrease inflammation and reduce pain."

So is the issue here the word “may”?

What would be extremely helpful to me as a customer is a concrete set of SPECIFIC guidelines. In other words, what sources does Shopify consider “trusted sources”? I can make whatever changes that are required. But what I do not have time for is feeling like I am rolling the dice. It’s unfortunate that this department does not provide a direct phone number as this could be answered very quickly instead of hoping that someone may open my email, or read this post.

Please help!

2

Thank you for your thoughtful message and for recognizing the steps taken — I really appreciate your insight. As a Shopify developer who’s worked with a variety of high-volume stores, I’ve seen how critical proactive fraud prevention can be, especially when chargebacks are involved.

I’ve double-checked the delivery address across all orders and confirmed there are no changes. I’ll also review the order timeline to verify the IP address and browser/device consistency, as you suggested. Adding a signature requirement is a smart move as well — I’ll coordinate with the fulfillment team to get that implemented on high-risk orders going forward.

Thanks again for your guidance — it’s always great to get input from someone who understands the importance of due diligence in eCommerce

3

Are you using shopify payments? I had similar problems to what you are describing, especially with wording. I switched my processor to Organic Payment Gateways. They have been phenomenal.

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