Understand and Use Nutrition Claims

Control of Nutrition Claims Nutrition claim means any representation which states, suggests or implies that a food has particular nutritional properties. From 1 July 2010, all nutrition claims must meet certain specified conditions. Nutrition claims on food labels and advertisements are all regulated. Nutrition claims include: Nutrient content claim Nutrient comparative claim Nutrient function claim For detailed conditions, please refer to the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling)(Amendment: Requirements for Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claim) Regulation 2008 or Technical Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims: http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/food_leg/files/nl_technical_guidance_e.pdf

Control of Nutrition Claims The amount of nutrient involved in a nutrition claim must be declared on the nutrition label. If a nutrition claim is made in relation to any type of fat, the amount of cholesterol must be declared on the nutrition label as well. If a nutrition claim is made in relation to any type of fat, the amount of cholesterol must be declared on the nutrition label as well. e.g. “fat free”, “low saturated fat”, “trans fat free” claims.

Nutrient Content Claim– Example Nutrient content claims will be regulated. Food products bearing relevant claims must meet certain specified conditions, e.g. Product with “High calcium” claim should contain not less than 240 mg of calcium per 100 g of solid food; or not less than 120 mg of calcium per 100 mL of liquid food. Product with “Low fat” claim should contain not more than 3 g of fat per 100 g of solid food; or not more than 1.5 g of fat per 100 mL of liquid food.

Nutrient Content Claim It describes the level of a nutrient contained in a food. E.g. “High calcium”, “Low fat”, “Sugars free” Overall speaking, nutrient content claims include: “Free” claim “Very low” claim (for sodium only) “Low” claim “Source” claim “High” claim Words with similar meaning may be used as well.

Nutrient Content Claim Meaning of Claim Example with conditions stipulated in law Free; No; Zero; Without; Does not contain Insignificant amount of a particular nutrient found in the food. Fat free (containing not more than 0.5 g of fat per 100 g/mL of food)

Nutrient Content Claim This category of claim applies to sodium only Claim Meaning of Claim Example with conditions stipulated in law Very low; Extremely low; Super low (for sodium only) A very small amount of sodium found in the food. Very low sodium (containing not more than 40 mg of sodium per 100 g/mL of food)

Nutrient Content Claim Meaning of Claim Example with conditions stipulated in law Low; Little; Low source; Few; Contains a small amount of A small amount of nutrient found in the food. Low fat (containing not more than 3 g of fat per 100 g of solid food; not more than 1.5 g of fat per 100 mL of liquid food)

Nutrient Content Claim Meaning of Claim Example with conditions stipulated in law Source; Contains; With; Provides; Has A significant amount of a particular nutrient found in the food. Source of calcium (containing not less than 120 mg of calcium per 100 g of solid food; not less than 60 mg of calcium per 100 mL of liquid food)

Nutrient Content Claim Meaning of Claim Example with conditions stipulated in law High; Good source; High source; Rich in; Plenty of A very significant amount of a particular nutrient found in the food. High calcium (containing not less than 240 mg of calcium per 100 g of solid food; not less than 120 mg of calcium per 100 mL of liquid food)

Nutrient Comparative Claim - Example “Added calcium”, “Calcium plus”, “Higher calcium”, “Extra calcium”, “More calcium”, “Increased calcium” etc are considered as synonyms of nutrient comparative claim, and they are regulated under the same conditions.

Nutrient Comparative Claim It compares the nutrient levels of two or more same or similar types of food products. E.g. “Reduced fat - 25% less than the regular product of the same brand” Wordings with similar meaning may be used.

Nutrient Comparative Claim Meaning of Claim Example with conditions stipulated in law Less; Reduced; Lower; Fewer; Light Contains considerably less of a particular nutrient when compared with a similar food. Reduced in fat (at least 25% less fat) Higher; Extra; Added; More; Plus; Increased Contains considerably more of a particular nutrient when compared with a similar food. Extra dietary fibre (at least 25% more dietary fibre)

Nutrient Function Claim - Example

Nutrient Function Claim It describes the physiological role of a nutrient in growth, development and normal functions of the body. It must fulfil several general principles, such as: The claim must be supported by science. The information about the physiological role of the claimed nutrient must be included in the claim. Examples of common nutrient function claims: “Calcium builds strong bones” “Iron is a factor in red blood cell formation” Nutrient function claims that are commonly used can be found on the webpage of the Centre for Food Safety: http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/food_leg/files/Acceptable_Nutrient_Function_Claims_bilingual.pdf

Other Representation The following would not be considered as a nutrition claim: “No MSG” “With electrolytes” “Unsweetened”/ “less sweet” “Unsweetened”/ “less sweet”: Sweetness is a taste which is a subjective experience. Statements on sweetness may not be directly related to its sugar content. Allow quantitative declaration that does not place any special emphasis on the high content, low content, presence or absence of energy or that nutrient contained in the food. E.g. “0.5 g omega-3 per serving” Declaration of nutrient content as specified in the labelling requirements in relation to allergenic substances is not considered as nutrition claim. E.g. “Lactose free”, “Does not contain gluten” The following would not be considered as a nutrition claim: “no hydrogenated oil”, “caffeine-free”, “contains phenylalanine”(“含苯內氨酸”), “casein free” (“不含酪蛋白”), claims on glycaemic index (血糖生成指數), “non GM”(“非基因改造”), “no added” (“不添加”) Would not affect “organic” (“有機”) or “natural” (“天然”) labels.

Use Nutrition Claim Wisely Nutrition claims appear on the package only give a rough idea about the content of a particular nutrient; very often nutrition claims are made for a specific nutrient only. We should not make a food choice solely on the basis of a nutrition claim. In order to eat healthily, we should take note of other nutrients as well. For example, a product with a “low sugars” claim may have high fat content. The best practice is to refer to the nutrition label for detailed information. Note: Some manufacturers may choose not to use nutrition claims even though their products have met relevant specified conditions. As such, a product without nutrition claims should not be perceived as inferior to others.

Nutrition Label and Healthy Eating

Physical fitness cannot do without a balanced diet Physical fitness cannot do without a balanced diet. Follow the "Food Pyramid" guide as you pick your food. Cereals should be taken as the major dietary source. The more vegetables, squashes and fruit, the better. Keep the consumption of meat, eggs, bean and dairy products and calcium food to an appropriate level. Reduce salt, oil and sugar. (Source of information: Department of Health)

Principles of Healthy Eating Choose a variety of food and eat cereals as the largest portion of food in every meal. Eat a lot of vegetables and fruit. Reduce the consumption of foodstuffs with high salt, fat and sugar content as well as those which are preserved. A daily fluid intake of 6 to 8 glasses (including clear soup, fruit juice and tea). Take meals regularly and in adequate amounts. (Source of information: Department of Health)

Nutrition Labelling is a Useful Tool for Practising Healthy Eating Nutrition label and nutrition claim can help consumers choose healthier food in accordance with healthy eating principles and the Food Pyramid, e.g. Choose biscuits lower in fat and sodium (or salt) Choose dairy products lower in fat Choose beverages lower in sugars

Nutrients that Needed to Limit their Intake For a 2000-kcal diet, the daily limit should be: Total fat Getting too much affects heart health and increases the risk of overweight and obesity.  60 g* Saturated fat  20 g* Trans fat  2.2 g* 1 tablespoon of oil provides about 14 g of fat. Energy requirement depends on age, gender, body weight and activity level: e.g. an average female aged 18-49 years with 56 kg body weight and moderate physical activity level needs about 2000 kcal a day; and the average male needs about 2700 kcal a day. The average daily energy requirements of people of different age groups, gender and physical activity levels are summarised in the table below as a general reference: Average daily energy requirements (kcal) of male and female aged 18 to 59 Physical Activity Level (PAL) Male Female 18-49 years old Light 2420 1955 Moderate 2779 2055 Heavy 3278 2280 50-59 years old Light 2404 1976 Moderate 2761 2079 Heavy 3257 2306 Reference weight for male: aged 18-49 (63kg); aged 50-59 (65kg) Reference weight for female: aged 18-49 (56kg); aged 50-59 (58kg) (Source of information: 中國居民膳食營養素參考攝入量Chinese DRIs (簡要本), 中國營養學會 2001) * Individual intake amounts may be higher or lower depending on energy requirements.

Nutrients that Needed to Limit their Intake For a 2000-kcal diet, the daily limit should be: Sugars Getting too much increases the risk of overweight and obesity.  50 g* Sodium Getting too much increases the risk of high blood pressure.  2000 mg 1 cube / 1 teaspoon of sugars provides about 5 g of sugars. 1 teaspoon of salt (about 5 g) provides about 2000 mg of sodium. * Individual intake amounts may be higher or lower depending on energy requirements.

Nutrients that Needed to Have Appropriate Amount For a 2000-kcal diet, the daily amount should be around: Protein 60 g* Carbohydrates 300 g* * Individual intake amounts may be higher or lower depending on energy requirements.

Intake of Other Nutrients For an average adult, try to set the daily amount of about: Dietary fibre Facilitates proper bowel function, lowering of blood cholesterol level and weight management.  25 g Calcium Promotes bone and teeth health.  800 mg Vitamin C Prevents scurvy and promotes wound healing.  100 mg Cholesterol High blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart diseases. ≤ 300 mg

Use Nutrition Labels to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food

How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food “3 Low”--- Low fat, Low sodium (or Low salt), Low sugars Use nutrition claim as a quick screening tool; and Take three simple steps to read nutrition label, and choose food lower in fat, sodium and sugars Note: To choose prepackaged food that is lower in fat, sodium and sugars, one easy way is to look for the related claims. However, some manufacturers may choose not to use nutrition claims even though their products have met relevant specified conditions. A product without nutrition claims should not be perceived as inferior to others. Therefore, nutrition claims should only be used as a screening tool. Regardless of the types of nutrition claim that may appear on the package, they only give a rough idea about the content of a particular nutrient, one should not make a food choice solely on the basis of a nutrition claim. Moreover, very often nutrition claims are made for a specific nutrient only. In order to eat healthily, we should take note of other nutrients as well. For example, a product with a “low sugars” claim may have high fat content. The best practice is to refer to the nutrition label for detailed information.

How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food The words below are considered as synonyms for nutrition claims, they may help you choose food with low/free fat, sodium or sugars: Claim Meaning of Claim Free; No; Zero; Without; Does not contain Insignificant amount of a particular nutrient found in the food Very low; Extremely low; Super low This category of claim applies to sodium only, meaning a very small amount of sodium found in the food Low; Little; Low source; Few; Contains a small amount of A small amount of nutrient found in the food Specified Conditions for Nutrient Content Claims in Relation to Fat, Sodium and Sugars Low fat Contain not more than 3 g of fat per 100 g of solid food; or Contain not more than 1.5 g of fat per 100 mL of liquid food Fat free Contain not more than 0.5 g of fat per 100 g/mL of food Low sodium Contain not more than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g/mL of food Very low sodium Contain not more than 40 mg of sodium per 100 g/mL of food Sodium free Contain not more than 5 mg of sodium per 100 g/mL of food Low sugars Contain not more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g/mL of food Sugars free Contain not more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g/mL of food

How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food Three Simple Steps to Read Nutrition Label Step 1  Take note of the reference amount of food being used in the nutrition label Step 2  Read and compare the nutritional content Step 3  Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference Value (%NRV) (If available) Step 1  Take note of the reference amount of food being used in the nutrition label Comparison should be made basing on the same reference amount. e.g. per 100 g vs per 100 g, per 50-gram serving vs per 50-gram serving, but not per 100 g vs per 50-gram serving. Step 2  Read and compare the nutritional content Based on the same reference amount of food, consumers can make comparison among the content of fat, sodium and sugars of various products. Then choose the one that is lower in fat, sodium and sugars. Step 3  Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference Value (%NRV) (If available) In case the %NRV of fat, sodium or sugars is at the high-end, think twice before making the purchase of that particular food product as it is very likely that the food may contribute a great proportion of your daily allowances of these nutrients.

How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food – Example 1 Milk Beverage A Milk Beverage B Based on the same reference amount of food, consumers can make comparison among the content of fat, sodium and sugars of various products. Then choose the one that is lower in fat, sodium and sugars. Milk Beverage B is a better choice as it has much less total fat in each package (i.e. 236 mL).

How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food – Example 2 Corn Flakes C Corn Flakes D Based on the same reference amount of food, consumers can make comparison among the content of fat, sodium and sugars of various products. Then choose the one that is lower in fat, sodium and sugars. Corn Flakes C is a better choice as it has much less sugars in each 100 g.

How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged Food – Example 3 Soup E Soup F Based on the same reference amount of food, consumers can make comparison among the content of fat, sodium and sugars of various products. Then choose the one that is lower in fat, sodium and sugars. Soup F is a better choice as it has much less total fat and less sodium in each serving (i.e. 200 g).

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