Food Nutrition Labeling FAQs

Food nutrition labels can directly show consumers the nutritional characteristics of food, guide consumers to choose food reasonably, and can also be used as a basis for comparison and selection of similar foods to balance dietary nutrition.The content and form of food nutrition labels play an important role in fair trade, consumption guidance, and consumer protection.Food companies, as providers of nutrition labels, should ensure that food labels are true, accurate, and not misleading consumers.

The nutrition ingredient table is a mandatory labeling item on the nutrition label, and the nutrition claim and nutritional ingredient function claim enterprises can make their own decisions according to the food situation.Partner.com has sorted out some common labeling problems on food nutrition labels for your reference.

1. When the nutritional content is declared by 'parts', the content is claimed by 'parts'

Example 1:

Name: Low Sodium Pickled Radish Sticks

Ingredients: radish, drinking water, edible salt, sodium benzoate, food flavor

 …

Nutrition Facts (30 grams per serving)

project	per serving	nutrient reference value%
energy	35 kilojoules (kJ)	0%
protein	0.4 grams (g)	1%
Fat	0.3 grams (g)	1%
carbohydrate	0.5 grams (g)	0%
钠	112 milligrams (mg)	6%

Parse:

Example 1 The declared value of the nutrient ingredient sodium does not meet the requirements for claiming low-salt content, and does not meet the requirements in 5.2 of GB 28050.Notes to Table C.1 in Appendix C of GB 28050 stipulates that when 'parts' are used as the food measurement unit, the content requirement of 100g (ml) should also be met before the claim can be made.GB 28050 Questions and Answers clearly stated that enterprises can use 'serving' to declare the content of nutritional ingredients, but when claiming the content of nutritional ingredients, they should meet the corresponding content requirements per 100g or per 100mL.At the same time, since the marked value will be rounded off many times when it is marked by 'parts', it is recommended not to judge whether it meets the content claim requirements by a simple backward method.

The 'low-salt' marked on the label is a claim for 'sodium', and the 'low-salt' claim can only be made if the sodium ≤ 120 mg/100 g or 100mL is met. The nutrition label in this label uses ' Serving' as the unit of measurement, the sodium content per 30g reaches 112mg, that is, the sodium content per 100g is about 373mg, which does not meet the requirements of the 'low-salt' claim, and the 'low-salt' claim cannot be made.

2. The sequence of nutritional ingredients is not standardized

Example 2:

Food Name: Apple Grapefruit Compound Juice Drink

Ingredients: Water, White Sugar, Concentrated Apple Juice, Concentrated Grapefruit Juice, Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, Vitamin C

 …

Nutrition

project	per 100ml	nutrient reference value%
energy	165 kJ	2%
protein	0 grams	0%
Fat	0 grams	0%
carbohydrate	9.3 grams	3%
钠	0mg	0%
L-carnitine	38 mg	/
Vitamin C	25.0 mg	25%

Analysis: Example 2 The sequence labeling of nutrition (L-carnitine, vitamin C) is not standardized. When labeling GB 14880 and other nutrients allowed to be fortified in the announcement of the Ministry of Health except Table 1, the sequence should be in the table in GB 28050 1 after the nutrients listed.This product uses nutritional enhancers 'L-carnitine' and 'vitamin C'. After vitamin C.

3. The '0' limit value is not standardized

Example 3:

Food name: Original Sliced ​​Potato Chips

Ingredients: potato, vegetable oil, garlic powder, onion powder, edible salt, monosodium glutamate, maltodextrin, cumin, food flavor

 …

Nutrition

project	Per Serving (50g)	nutrient reference value%
energy	630 kJ	8%
protein	1.8 grams	3%
Fat	9.2 grams	15%
carbohydrate	15.0 grams	5%
Dietary fiber	0.2 grams	1%
钠	140 mg	7%

Parse:

Dietary fiber '0' limit value labeling is not standardized. When the value of a certain nutrient content is ≤'0' limit value, its content should be marked as '0'; when the measurement unit of 'part' is used , but also meet the '0' limit value per 100g or 100mL.

In Example 3, the content of dietary fiber converted to 100g is 0.4g, and the '0' limit value of dietary fiber is 0.5g, so the correct label should be '0', and the nutrient reference value % should also be marked as ' 0%'.

extend:

When nutrient test results are approaching'0'How to choose the label value when the cut-off value or nutrition claim cut-off value?

This problem is explained in GB 28050 Implementation Guide P107, when the test result is approaching'0'When the limit value or the limit value of nutrition claim is also faced with the problem of selection of the label value and the assessment of the risk and benefit brought about, in order to reduce the risk, it is best to take more than 6 sampling tests for verification, and refer to the following figure Evaluation, if the average value falls in section A and section B, that is, the product meets'0'threshold value or nutritional claim conditions are far greater than non-compliance, then proceed'0'Marking or claiming that if it falls in section D or E, the risk of being inspected for non-compliance will increase.

4. Table form of nutrition ingredients

Example 4:

Food name: Jumping candy

Ingredients: white sugar, malt syrup, lactose, carbon dioxide, food flavor

 …

Nutrient composition (10g/serving): energy 167kJ, fat 0g, protein 0g, carbohydrate 9.8g, sodium 0mg

Parse:

Example 4 The sequence labeling of nutritional ingredients protein and fat is not standardized, and the total package area of ​​the label is less than 100cm², Nutrition labels can refer to Appendix B.2.5 of GB 28050 to select the text format, non-tabular forms are allowed, and the indication of nutrient reference value (NRV) can be omitted.According to the characteristics of the packaging, the nutritional ingredients are arranged horizontally from left to right, or from top to bottom.

extend:

The interpretation of nutrition labels in text format in the question and answer of GB 28050 is: the text format or non-tabular form of nutritional information is allowed to be interpreted without nutrient reference value (NRV%), but the label name and order of energy and nutritional ingredients specified in this standard must be followed and expression units.

5. Energy calculation problem

Example 5:

Food name: Northeast black fungus

Ingredients: black fungus

 …

Nutrition

project	Per Serving (50g)	nutrient reference value%
energy	205 kJ	2%
protein	12.0 grams	20%
Fat	1.0g	2%
carbohydrate	35.7 grams	12%
钠	24mg	1%

Parse:

Example 5 The energy value indication is untrue and objective, and does not meet the requirements of 3.1 in GB 28050.The energy conversion value should be: protein*17+fat*37+carbohydrate*17=12.0*17+1.0*37+35.7*17= 847.9kJ/100g, the declared value of energy in Example 5 is 205kJ/100g, and the conversion The data gap is huge, and the energy value is not true and accurate.And modify the corresponding nutrient reference value.

extend:

Energy refers to the sum of the energy produced by nutrients such as protein, fat, and carbohydrates in food during human metabolism.The energy declared on the nutrition label is mainly obtained by calculation method.That is, the content of energy-producing nutrients such as protein, fat, and carbohydrates is multiplied by their respective energy coefficients (see the table below) and summed up. The energy value is expressed in kilojoules (kJ).When other energy-producing nutrients other than core nutrients are declared on the product nutrition label, such as dietary fiber, the energy provided by dietary fiber should also be calculated; if other energy-producing nutrients are not indicated, the energy provided by them may not be included in the calculation of energy.

Energy Conversion Factors of Energy-producing Nutrients in Food

Element	kJ/g	Element	kJ/g
protein	17	ethanol (alcohol)	29
Fat	37	organic acid	13
carbohydrate	17	Dietary fiber*	8

*Including monomer components of dietary fiber, such as indigestible oligosaccharides, indigestible starch, resistant dextrin, etc., are also converted according to 8kJ/g.

Regarding the relationship between the energy value and the sum of energy provided by energy-supplying nutrients:

The energy value on the label should theoretically be equal to the sum of the energy provided by the energy-supplying nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate, etc.), but due to the 'rounding' of the declared value of the nutritional ingredients, the energy-supplying nutrients meet the '0' limit value It is marked as '0' for reasons such as requirements, which may lead to inconsistent energy calculation results.

When judging the accuracy of the value declared on the nutrition label, the method by which the enterprise determines the value on the label should be used as the basis.

summary

Nutrition labeling is an explanation to provide consumers with food nutrition information and characteristics. The main problems of nutrition labeling may be manifested in the irregular content and format, as well as the confusing imagination of some claims. It is recommended that enterprises standardize the labeling of nutrition labels to protect food producers and Legal rights of consumers.

Source: Food Labeling Law Circle｜If there is any infringement, please contact to delete