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EU nutrition claims
Labels such as Low fat or Source of fibre follow the exact conditions the European Union sets for nutrition claims on food. We apply the same numbers to every recipe, using its nutrition data, and, for the per 100 g labels, only where we can estimate its weight reliably.
The labels and the legal conditions
Conditions from the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (consolidated text of 13 December 2014). Labels are calculated by the site build from each recipe's data; nobody adds them by hand.
| Label | EU condition (Annex) | How we apply it | Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low energy | No more than 40 kcal (170 kJ) per 100 g for solids, or 20 kcal (80 kJ) per 100 ml for liquids. | Per 100 g (solids) or per 100 ml (drinks, soups and stocks) of the finished dish. | 12 recipes |
| Low fat | No more than 3 g of fat per 100 g for solids, or 1.5 g per 100 ml for liquids. | Per 100 g (solids) or per 100 ml (drinks, soups and stocks) of the finished dish. | 120 recipes |
| Low saturated fat | Saturated plus trans fat no more than 1.5 g per 100 g for solids, or 0.75 g per 100 ml for liquids, and in either case no more than 10% of energy. | Saturated fat counts as saturated plus trans fat (our data lists them together). | 238 recipes |
| Low sugars | No more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g for solids, or 2.5 g per 100 ml for liquids. | Not shown when Sugar-free is. | 576 recipes |
| Sugar-free | No more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. (The Regulation calls it "sugars-free".) | Per 100 g (solids) or per 100 ml (drinks, soups and stocks) of the finished dish. | 50 recipes |
| Low salt | No more than 0.12 g of sodium, or the equivalent for salt, per 100 g or 100 ml. 0.12 g sodium × 2.5 = 0.3 g salt. | Per 100 g (solids) or per 100 ml (drinks, soups and stocks) of the finished dish. | 259 recipes |
| High fibre | At least 6 g of fibre per 100 g, or at least 3 g per 100 kcal. | Per 100 kcal route only (needs no weight). Foods only, never drinks. | 44 recipes |
| Source of fibre | At least 3 g of fibre per 100 g, or at least 1.5 g per 100 kcal. | Per 100 kcal route only (needs no weight). Foods only, never drinks. Not shown when High fibre is. | 165 recipes |
| High Protein | At least 20% of the energy value of the food is provided by protein. | Protein × 4 kcal ÷ kcal per serving, so at least 5 g protein per 100 kcal. Needs no weight. See the High Protein list. | 328 recipes |
| Source of protein | At least 12% of the energy value of the food is provided by protein. | Same calculation, at least 3 g protein per 100 kcal. Needs no weight. Not shown when High Protein is. | 351 recipes |
How we work out "per 100 g"
- Weight of the finished dish: we add up every ingredient's weight from the recipe, using the stated grams and millilitres, the recipe's own piece weights where it gives them, and low-end weights for whole pieces (one egg 42 g edible, one onion 95 g).
- What we leave out: oil for frying, pasta and blanching water, marinades and coatings that are thrown away, garnishes and anything "to serve" or optional. Bones and shells only count for their edible part. Spoonfuls of spices and single herbs count as almost nothing.
- Cooking loss: we take off 15% to 55% for water lost in cooking, depending on cooking time, and 40% more when the method strains or discards something.
- Always the low end: every step picks the lightest likely weight. A lighter dish means higher values per 100 g, so a "Low" label can only be harder to earn, never easier. Fibre uses the per 100 kcal route for the same reason.
- Drinks, soups and stocks are measured per 100 ml, assuming up to 1.1 g per ml.
- No label at all when a recipe's weight can't be estimated (some ingredient has no reliable weight), when a serving weighs under 30 g (spice blends, sauces and other condiments), or when nutrition data is missing.
Good to know
- The Regulation governs claims on packaged food. We use its numbers as a clear, published yardstick for home recipes; the labels are a guide, not a legal claim or medical advice.
- Each label speaks only for its own nutrient. A Low fat marshmallow is still mostly sugar, so check the full nutrition table on the recipe.
- Nutrition values are estimates per serving (see each recipe's source note), and real dishes vary with ingredients and portion size.
- No added sugar is a different tag: it means no sugar is added to the recipe, whatever the sugar content of the ingredients.