Informing consumers about the nutritional value of the product is mandatory, in accordance with the applicable regulations of the Republic of Serbia and EU regulations.
Proper food labeling, in accordance with the Law on Food Safety, is an indispensable part of food declaration that is placed on the market.
The label should indicate the energy value of the product and the amount of fat, of which saturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, of which sugars, proteins and salt. This information is presented in a defined way, in a specific order. If no salt ingredient has been used in the technological process, a note that the salt content is due solely to the presence of naturally occurring sodium in the product may be placed directly near the nutrition declaration.
The content of mandatory nutrition information can be enriched with information on the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyols, starch, fiber, vitamins and minerals. This is a closed list so it is not possible to supplement it with any additional nutrition information, for instance, individual polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Nutrition information should be given in grams per 100 grams or 100 milliliters. In addition, they can be expressed per portion or unit amount of food.
The content of each nutrient in a foodstuffs is determined by giving average values based on:
- laboratory analysis of food products,
- calculation based on known and actual average values of the components used,
- calculation based on generally accepted data.
The producer can use appropriate laboratory tests (recommended for processed and compound foodstuffs) or make appropriate mathematical calculations based on recipe, using knowledge of process technology. In both cases, adequate product knowledge is necessary to include all components of the product.
Vitamins
Vitamins are an essential elements for the proper functioning of organisms. The level of vitamins is therefore one of the most important indicators of the quality of food products and the appropriate technological processes.
Vitamins can be of natural origin or synthetically produced, and their determination is extremely complex due to the variety of structures and properties.
Depending on the classification and structure of vitamins, different analytical methods are used.
Percentage of vitamin presence can be declared on the food label if it is in significant quantity. This significant amount is calculated using the appropriate relationships:
- 15% of the reference intake, included in 100 g or 100 ml, for non-beverage products;
- 7,5% of the reference intake, contained in 100 ml, for beverages;
- 15% of the reference intake, per portion, if the package contains only one serving.
