Calculation of nutrient content of foods
Nutrient labelling of prepacked foods has been mandatory in the European Union since 13 December 2016 (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers – hereafter FIC). According to FIC three methods for obtaining nutrition values used in nutrient declaration are permitted (Article 31(4)):
- Manufacturer´s (chemical) analysis of the food.
- Calculation from known or actual average values of the ingredients used.
- Calculation from generally established and accepted data.
The declared values must comply with tolerance limits (see the Guidance Document for Competent Authorities […]).
As mentioned above, FIC does not require laboratory analysis. Manufacturers can use calculations for obtaining values. But calculation procedures (hereafter as recipe calculation) are not defined by FIC.
Recipe calculation guideline How to calculate Nutrient Content of Foods: A Guideline for Food Business Operators was developed by EuroFIR AISBL to explain manufacturers how to proceed with recipe calculation to fulfil their legal obligation for nutrition declaration in the EU. The Guideline is based on a harmonised recipe calculation procedure proposed by EuroFIR. The Guideline is organised into two parts. Part 1: General description explains the recipe calculation procedure in ten steps. Part 2 demonstrates recipe calculation in practice as individual EXCEL worksheets including recipe documentation, calculation procedure, evaluation of tolerances, calculation of water content and check of total proximates.
Results should be always regarded as approximations. It is recommended to check outputs of recipe calculation by chemical analysis of a product in order to decide whether calculation is an acceptable method for a particular type of food. Chemical analysis of foods is a preferred method for nutrition declaration.
You can download the EuroFIR Recipe Guideline here: How to calculate Nutrient Content of Foods: A Guideline for Food Business Operators
Practical examples of calculation: