EU/UK Nutrition Declaration
What Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires on the label, per 100 g or 100 ml, and how the generator applies it
The seven mandatory items
Article 30(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 makes the mandatory nutrition declaration consist of the energy value and the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. Mono-unsaturates, polyunsaturates, polyols, starch, fibre and the listed vitamins and minerals may be added. Salt is the salt equivalent, calculated as sodium × 2.5. The generator's EU/UK standard prints exactly the mandatory seven, in the order the regulation sets out in Annex XV.
Per 100 g or 100 ml, with portions as an addition
Article 32(2) requires the energy value and the nutrient amounts to be expressed per 100 g or per 100 ml. Article 33 allows them to be given per portion or per consumption unit in addition, provided the portion is quantified on the label and the number of portions in the package is stated. Article 32(4) allows the amounts to be shown as a percentage of the reference intakes of Annex XIII — 8 400 kJ/2 000 kcal, 70 g fat, 20 g saturates, 260 g carbohydrate, 90 g sugars, 50 g protein and 6 g salt — accompanied by the statement "Reference intake of an average adult (8 400 kJ/2 000 kcal)".
Order, format and legibility
Article 34 requires the particulars to appear in the same field of vision, in a tabular format with the numbers aligned if space permits, and otherwise in a linear format. Annex XV fixes the order: energy, fat, of which saturates, carbohydrate, of which sugars, protein, salt. Article 13(2) sets a minimum x-height of 1,2 mm for the mandatory particulars, or 0,9 mm on packages whose largest surface is smaller than 80 cm².
Rounding, and the United Kingdom
The regulation itself sets no rounding increments; the European Commission's guidance on tolerances of December 2012 (Table 4) does. Energy is rounded to the nearest 1 kJ and 1 kcal; fat, carbohydrate, sugars and protein to 0.1 g below 10 g and to 1 g from 10 g, with "<0.5 g" allowed at or below 0.5 g; saturates to 0.1 g, with "<0.1 g" at or below 0.1 g; salt to 0.01 g below 1 g and to 0.1 g from 1 g. The generator applies these increments to its EU/UK panel. The United Kingdom kept Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 in domestic law after leaving the EU; legislation.gov.uk publishes the version that applies there, together with any changes made by UK legislation.