Nutritional Value Analysis
In the European Union, the fundamental legal act regulating the provision of food information to consumers is Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. One of the mandatory elements on food labels is the nutritional value of the product. In accordance with the legislation, all mandatory information must be clearly visible and legible and presented in a minimum font size appropriate to the largest surface area of the packaging.
The mandatory nutritional declaration includes:
- energy value,
- fat, of which saturated fatty acids,
- carbohydrates, of which sugars,
- protein,
- salt.
Mandatory information may be supplemented by the quantity of one or more of the following components:
- monounsaturated fatty acids,
- polyunsaturated fatty acids,
- polyols,
- starch,
- dietary fibre,
- specific vitamins and/or minerals listed in Annex XIII of the Regulation.
Nutritional values must be expressed in grams per 100 g or 100 ml, and may additionally be expressed per portion or per unit of consumption of the product.
The content of each nutrient in food must represent an average value, determined by:
- laboratory analysis of the food,
- calculation based on known or actual average values of the ingredients used, or
- calculation based on generally established and publicly available data.
J.S. Hamilton performs all analyses required for the preparation of nutritional declarations on food labels and provides expert consulting and support in preparing nutritional tables in accordance with current legislative requirements.
Contact our team to arrange laboratory analyses or to obtain more information about the regulatory obligations applicable to your product.