Nutrition definitions

The following are specific definitions contained in Annex I of Regulation 1169/2011:

1. ‘nutrition declaration’ or ‘nutrition labelling’ means information stating the:

(a) energy value; or
(b) energy value and one or more of the following nutrients only:

• fat (saturates, mono-unsaturates, polyunsaturates),
• carbohydrate (sugars, polyols, starch),
• salt,
• fibre,
• protein,
• any of the vitamins or minerals listed in point 1 of Part A of Annex XIII, and present in significant amounts as defined in point 2 of Part A of Annex XIII (see Table of Vitamins and Minerals)

2. ‘fat’ means total lipids, and includes phospholipids;

3. ‘saturates’ means fatty acids without double bond;

4. ‘trans fat’ means fatty acids with at least one non-conjugated (namely interrupted by at least one methylene group) carbon-carbon double bond in the trans configuration;

5. ‘mono-unsaturates’ means fatty acids with one cis double bond;

6. ‘polyunsaturates’ means fatty acids with two or more cis, cis-methylene interrupted double bonds;

7. ‘carbohydrate’ means any carbohydrate which is metabolised by humans, and includes polyols;

8. ‘sugars’ means all monosaccharides and disaccharides present in food, but excludes polyols;

9. ‘polyols’ means alcohols containing more than two hydroxyl groups;

10. ‘protein’ means the protein content calculated using the formula: protein = total Kjeldahl nitrogen × 6,25;

11. ‘salt’ means the salt equivalent content calculated using the formula: salt = sodium × 2,5;

12. ‘fibre’ means carbohydrate polymers with three or more monomeric units, which are neither digested nor absorbed in the human small intestine and belong to the following categories:

• edible carbohydrate polymers naturally occurring in the food as consumed,
• edible carbohydrate polymers which have been obtained from food raw material by physical, enzymatic or chemical means and which have a beneficial physiological effect demonstrated by generally accepted scientific evidence,
• edible synthetic carbohydrate polymers which have a beneficial physiological effect demonstrated by generally accepted scientific evidence,
  

13. ‘average value’ means the value which best represents the amount of the nutrient which a given food contains, and reflects allowances for seasonal variability, patterns of consumption and other factors which may cause the actual value to vary.

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