Nutritional / Food Chemistry
Advanced Laboratory Testing offers a wide range of INAB Accredited in-house food chemistry testing services to the industry. We can work on your routine chemistry analyses, solve complex problems, develop methods as well as provide nutritional analysis and labeling information about your products.
ALT are proud to announce that as of January 2016, we can offer INAB Accredited Group II nutritional analysis
Having a nutrition declaration on prepacked foods becomes mandatory from 13 December 2016. The list of foods which are exempt from the mandatory requirement to provide nutrition information are listed in Annex V to FIC.
Foods which provide nutrition information on a voluntary basis or which make nutrition or health claim on the label, have been required to provide nutrition information in the prescribed format set out in FIC since 13 December 2014.
Mandatory Information
When providing nutrition information FIC requires that the declaration consists of:
(a) The energy value and
(b) The amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt
The content of the mandatory nutrition declaration may be supplemented with an indication of the amounts of one or more of the following:
(a) Monounsaturates
(b) Polyunsaturates
(c) Polyols
(d) Starch
(e) Fibre
(f) Any of the vitamins or minerals listed in point 1 of Part A of Annex XIII to FIC, and present in significant amounts as defined in point 2 of Part A of Annex XIII to FIC
.
Once the mandatory and the supplementary nutrients are declared, no other nutrient can be added to the nutrition declaration as it is a ‘closed list’. Where another nutrient, not on this list, must be declared on the label, as a result of a requirement of the nutrition or health claims legislation (Regulation (EU) No. 1924/2006), the nutrient must be declared below, but not in, the nutrition table.
Repeating Nutrition Information on the Front of Pack
Where the mandatory nutrition information is declared on the label, certain nutrients may be repeated in the ‘principal field of vision’, i.e. the front of pack. This repeated information is a voluntary measure but where a food business chooses to provide this additional declaration, only the following information can be provided:
• Energy only or
• Energy along with fat, saturates, sugar and salt
• This repeated information may be provided:
• Per 100g/ml only
• Per 100g/ml and per portion or
• On a per portion basis only
When providing this ‘Front of Pack’ information Energy must always be indicated per 100g/ml as a minimum.
Presentation of Nutrition Information
Nutrition information must be presented in tabular format with the numbers aligned. Where space does not permit, the declaration may appear in linear format. The energy value must be expressed in Kilo Joules (kJ) and Kilo Calories (kcal) and the amount of the nutrients must be expressed in grams (g).
All elements of the nutrition declaration must be included in the same field of vision. They must be presented together in a clear format and, where appropriate, in the order of presentation provided for in Annex XV to FIC.
The nutrition declaration must be expressed per 100 g/ml, using the measurement units specified in Annex XV to FIC. When provided, the declaration on vitamins and minerals must in addition to this form of expression, be expressed as a percentage of the reference intakes set out in point 1 of Part A of Annex XIII to FIC in relation to per 100 g or per 100 ml.
