4 replies to this topic

[Laura982]

Hi All 

 

We are reviewing our labels and need to quid a number of ingredients and want to double check the process as calculating quid is from the mixing bowl stage but we add ingredients post mixing bowl.

We make cakes and top them or fill them, how would we calculate QUID of Glace cherries placed on top of a cake? And how about Jam that goes in a cake?

 

Thanks 

[GMO]

The spec writers often refer to "mixing bowl" stage but the guidance actually says the below (from the FSA, the link is hyperlinked in the title).  "At time of use" does not mean "mixing bowl" if that ingredient is applied as a finishing item.  So for a cake I am a while since my spec writing days but it's the amount of cherries or jam added post bake.  Now I cannot claim to be super confident on this but I would argue the post bake total weight should be the denominator not the mixing bowl weight of ingredients before cooking because moisture will be lost.  So for example, if mixing bowl is 400g, toppings in total are 100g but the baked cake weight is 300g, it would be 100 / 400 not 100 / 500.

 

 

Quantitative declaration of ingredients (QUID)

The QUID (Opens in a new window)tells a consumer the percentage of particular ingredients contained in a food product. This is required where the ingredient or category of ingredients concerned:

(a) appears in the name of the food or is usually associated with that name by the consumer;

(b) is emphasised on the labelling in words, pictures or graphics; or

© is essential to characterise a food and to distinguish it from products with which it might be confused because of its name or appearance.

The indication of quantity of an ingredient or category of ingredients must:

• be displayed as a percentage, which corresponds to the quantity of the ingredient or ingredients at the time of its/their use; and
• appear either in or immediately next to the name of the food or in the list of ingredients in connection with the ingredient or category of ingredients in question.

[GMO]

This might also be helpful:  Labelling of prepacked foods: QUID | Business Companion

[Setanta]

Thank you for that explanation, GMO. From what this American knew of quids, i wasn't seeing how that could be that type of unit of measurement. 

 

Was it like the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?  

Edited by Setanta, Today, 12:33 PM.

[GMO]

Thank you for that explanation, GMO. From what this American knew of quids, i wasn't seeing how that could be that type of unit of measurement. 

 

Was it like the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?  

 

 

 

No QUID (quantitative ingredient declaration) is just a lovely bit of UK and EU legislation which goes back to our fundamental ethos on labelling which is "thou shalt not mislead the consumer..."  It's a ball ache in lots of ways but also if you're a consumer and buying, for example, a beef and mushroom pie.  You might have three pies in front of you.

 

Pie 1 - 50% beef, 20% mushrooms. £3.99

 

Pie 2 - 25% beef, 15% mushrooms.  £3.50

 

Pie 3 - 30% beef, 25% mushrooms £3.25

 

You could of course go for the cheapest pie and that wouldn't contain a bad amount of beef.  You might however, think the most expensive pie is worth the extra 74p.  When you look at the quantity of key named ingredients, pie 2 looks like a bad deal, Pie 3 isn't bad but Pie 1 is packed with beef and a decent amount of mushrooms.  It might be tight on the gravy but most people are going to not feel ripped off by that.

 

So basically QUID is there because people do not measure "value" only on price but the proportion of the ingredients which make up the key part of the food and, as a result, can then make an informed decision about what they will and will not spend their money on.  Whether consumers do this regularly or not is another matter but retailers get very worried about the % meat content particularly of prepared savoury foods.

 

What needs a QUID is in the links above but I'd say it's pretty common for two different brands to interpret the rules slightly differently but only really in subtle ways.  Where it gets super complex and debatable is when you start draining off items, e.g. cooked out marinades, fat etc.