How to validate claims made on labels?

Hi, 

 

how to validate the claims (allegations)  mentioned on the label according to the BRC Food

This is going to very much depend on the nature of the specific claim(s) being made - for example, "x mg Vitamin C per serving" requires a different approach to "made with 100% Sicilian Lemon".

If you can provide some detail about the specific claims you want to make then it'll be easier for forum members to provide some suggestions.

This is going to very much depend on the nature of the specific claim(s) being made - for example, "x mg Vitamin C per serving" requires a different approach to "made with 100% Sicilian Lemon".

If you can provide some detail about the specific claims you want to make then it'll be easier for forum members to provide some suggestions.

I'm talking about the nutritional values of a food product

As in the nutritional value of the food product itself, or a specific nutritional claim? Nutrition claims will likely depend on the regulations governing the area. For example, products in the UK must comply with EC 1924/2006 (+ amendments 147/2012) which lays out the requirements for nutritional claims. For example, if you wanted to label a product 'fat free' it will need to meet the following:

FAT-FREE

A claim that a food is fat-free, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where

the product contains no more than 0,5 g of fat per 100 g or 100 ml. However, claims expressed as ‘X % fat-free’ shall be

prohibited.

 

Pardon my ignorance, from a google I can see there is some relation between Tunisia and the EU - does Tunisia follow the EC food regulations?

As in the nutritional value of the food product itself, or a specific nutritional claim? Nutrition claims will likely depend on the regulations governing the area. For example, products in the UK must comply with EC 1924/2006 (+ amendments 147/2012) which lays out the requirements for nutritional claims.

Yes, it'd be very useful to know more about the specific claim being made, the market(s) in which the product is being sold, and the corresponding applicable regulations.

It's likely to require some mix of calculation and analysis, but could also require end of life testing (e.g. vitamin C will naturally deplete in many product types), but could also necessitate e.g. a market review and analysis in the case of comparative nutritional claims.

 

If Mouradtalbi can provide a bit more detail then we may be able to assist further.

As in the nutritional value of the food product itself, or a specific nutritional claim? Nutrition claims will likely depend on the regulations governing the area. For example, products in the UK must comply with EC 1924/2006 (+ amendments 147/2012) which lays out the requirements for nutritional claims. For example, if you wanted to label a product 'fat free' it will need to meet the following:

FAT-FREE

A claim that a food is fat-free, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where

the product contains no more than 0,5 g of fat per 100 g or 100 ml. However, claims expressed as ‘X % fat-free’ shall be

prohibited.

 

Pardon my ignorance, from a google I can see there is some relation between Tunisia and the EU - does Tunisia follow the EC food regulations?

Hello,

 

Yes Tunisia respect  EC food regulations?

Yes, it'd be very useful to know more about the specific claim being made, the market(s) in which the product is being sold, and the corresponding applicable regulations.

It's likely to require some mix of calculation and analysis, but could also require end of life testing (e.g. vitamin C will naturally deplete in many product types), but could also necessitate e.g. a market review and analysis in the case of comparative nutritional claims.

 

If Mouradtalbi can provide a bit more detail then we may be able to assist further.

I mean, is it necessary to do analyzes to validate the information of nutritional values?

I mean, is it necessary to do analyzes to validate the information of nutritional values?

Most probably yes, if you're making a claim you will need the evidence to support it. Would it be possible to share with us the product and the particular claim in this case?

I mean, is it necessary to do analyzes to validate the information of nutritional values?

 

Yes, you can send out a sample of the finished product to be tested by a laboratory for all the nutritional label data. My lab charged a little over $US 500.

Most probably yes, if you're making a claim you will need the evidence to support it. Would it be possible to share with us the product and the particular claim in this case?

If your product is so simple, you can probably find the nutritional value in a database somewhere.

 

It wouldn't be a bad idea to reach a laboratory, for some complete nutritional analysis, like Intertek or QSI.

 

I don't know the specifics of the EU regulation though, so you might want to check that first.

I think there are four entries for Dates (dried and raw, both with and without stone) included in the UK's McCance & Widdowson's Composition of Foods database - it's obviously designed for the UK market but accepted as a reference for nutritional labelling that is standardised across the EU. In the old days it used to be a large and moderately expensive book, but for the last few editions they've also released a free Excel file of the complete data and you can download a copy here: https://www.gov.uk/g...d-dataset-cofid

 

There are also quite a lot of entries in the USDA's Food Composition Database: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

Just be aware that the US nutritional labelling requirements / definitions are not necessarily the same as for the EU, so I'd be somewhat wary of relying solely on the figures from this one.

 

As others have suggested, given that you're making a specific claim I do think that it would be wise to arrange some analysis at an accredited lab, as the reference sources will be reasonably reliable as general data but you'll need to ensure that the specific Dates that you're packing are achieving the claim you intend to make.

If you use different origins/varieties then I'd be inclined to analyse each, as with fruit this can make a moderately significant difference to some components.

I think there are four entries for Dates (dried and raw, both with and without stone) included in the UK's McCance & Widdowson's Composition of Foods database - it's obviously designed for the UK market but accepted as a reference for nutritional labelling that is standardised across the EU. In the old days it used to be a large and moderately expensive book, but for the last few editions they've also released a free Excel file of the complete data and you can download a copy here: https://www.gov.uk/g...d-dataset-cofid

 

There are also quite a lot of entries in the USDA's Food Composition Database: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

Just be aware that the US nutritional labelling requirements / definitions are not necessarily the same as for the EU, so I'd be somewhat wary of relying solely on the figures from this one.

 

As others have suggested, given that you're making a specific claim I do think that it would be wise to arrange some analysis at an accredited lab, as the reference sources will be reasonably reliable as general data but you'll need to ensure that the specific Dates that you're packing are achieving the claim you intend to make.

If you use different origins/varieties then I'd be inclined to analyse each, as with fruit this can make a moderately significant difference to some components.

Hello, 

 

Thanks  all lot