Nutrient content claims: reference information
Nutrient content claim examples

Nutrient content claim examples – fat claims

Example – "Low in Fat"

A package of muffins carries the claim "Low in Fat". The muffins contain 3 g of fat per serving of stated size of 75 g. Is the claim permissible?

Row b) of the Summary table of fat claims states the conditions for "Low in Fat" claims.

Condition: The food must contain 3 g or less of fat per reference amount (in this case, 110 g according to Item A.9, Bakery Products, Column 2, Table of Reference Amounts for Foods) and per serving of stated size (in this case, 75 g) and, if the reference amount is 30 g or 30 mL or less, per 50 g.

The muffins meet the claim requirement for serving of stated size, but they must also meet the requirement for reference amount for the claim to be permissible.

To calculate the fat per reference amount of 110 g:

(3 g fat ÷ 75 g) = (x g fat ÷ 110 g)

75x = 330

x = 4.4 g fat in the reference amount

The muffins do not meet the claim requirement for the reference amount. The claim is therefore not acceptable.

Example - "% Fat-Free"

A label states that an uncooked pork sausage with a serving of stated size of 75 g is 95% fat-free. Is the claim acceptable?

In order to make a % fat-free claim, the food must first meet the conditions for "low in fat" (3 g or less of fat per reference amount and per serving of stated size). At 5% fat (that is, 95% fat-free), the sausage contains: 0.05 × 75 g = 3.75 g of fat per serving of stated size and per reference amount (which is also 75 g according to Item L.5, Meat, Poultry, Their Products and Substitutes, Column 2, Table of Reference Amounts for Foods). The claim is therefore not acceptable.

Example - "% less fat" (comparative claim)

The following statement appears on the label of a package of chicken breakfast strips: "84% less fat in 30 g vs. 54 g of our regular bacon". The chicken breakfast strips contain 3.5 g of fat per 30 g and the regular bacon contains 22 g of fat per 54 g. Is it acceptable?

The reference amount for uncooked bacon is 54 g (Item L.1, Meat, Poultry, Their Products and Substitutes, Column 2, Table of Reference Amounts for Foods) while that of uncooked chicken breakfast strips is 30 g (Item L.2, Meat, Poultry, Their Products and Substitutes, Column 2, Table of Reference Amounts for Foods). The percent reduction is calculated using the difference in the nutrient (fat) content found in the reference amounts of each food.

((22g − 3.5g) ÷ 22g) × 100 = 84%

Therefore, the claim is acceptable.

Nutrient content claim example – fibre claims

Example – High source of fibre

The following claim appears on a box of 6 muffins: "High source of wheat bran and oat bran". Each muffin contains 1.5 g of fibre from wheat bran and 3.5 g of fibre from oat bran per serving of stated size of 90 g. The reference amount is 110 g (Item A.9, Bakery Products, Column 2, Table of Reference Amounts for Foods). Is the claim acceptable?

The claim is not acceptable since there must be at least 4 g of fibre from wheat and oat independently. The claim "high source of fibre" could be made instead since there is more than 4 g of fibre (total) per reference amount and per serving of stated size.