Nutrition Analysis & HFSS (High Fat, Sugar, Salt)
Do you need nutritional data? We can help.
If you’ve ever picked up food products in a supermarket and looked at the pack, you’ll have noticed the nutritional panel on the back. You may also have seen the ‘traffic light’ panels on the front of pack. But maybe you’re not sure where that information comes from, or how to get it for your product.
We can help with your nutritional data, as well as advising on whether your product is covered by legislation governing HFSS foods – i.e. those considered to be High Fat, Sugar, Salt.
Some manufacturers do get their products analysed and use a laboratory for their nutrition analysis at considerable cost. Whilst this might be necessary for novel or unusual foods that might not be well documented, nutritional values that have been calculated instead of analysed are considered to be an accurate and cost-effective alternative for most types of food.
We calculate the nutritional values of your products using the legally-endorsed UK Government database – McCance & Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods.
We use this database and other international food composition databases to calculate the nutritional profile of your product. Our databases are licensed only for use by qualified nutrition advisers, so they’re more in-depth and more accurate than those available to the public.
To get accurate data, we’ll need to ask you for details about:
- the ingredients you have used
- the recipe
- your factory process.
We don’t just calculate your data, we support you through the process:
- We explain your results,
- We help with nutrition table layouts,
- We reformat your ingredient list to show the allergens clearly,
- We QUID appropriate ingredients,
- We give advice on how to modify your recipe to meet ‘traffic light’ targets,
- We provide a legal name for your product
- We provide guidance on vitamin and nutrient content where applicable.
The key mandatory nutrition values we provide include:
- Energy
- Fat
- Saturated fat
- Carbohydrate
- Total sugars
- Protein
- Salt
We can also help you with the calculation of voluntary nutrients such as starch, fibre, mono-unsaturates, and poly- unsaturates if you require them.
If you’re planning to make nutritional or health claims about your product, we’ll be able to advise you on whether your claims are legally compliant.
We do a lot more than just producing data!
Are you baffled by HFSS regulations? We can help
HFSS Profiling
Once we’ve generated your nutritional data, we’ll run it through the UK’s nutrient profiling model to see whether it meets the thresholds for high fat, sugar, salt (HFSS). That score determines whether your product sits inside or outside the scope of the HFSS regulations.
If your product does fall under HFSS, you’ll immediately face a series of practical hurdles. In store, HFSS lines can’t sit on prominent displays such as checkouts, end-of-aisles or standalone free-standing units. You’ll also be barred from price promotions like multi-buy deals or “three for two” offers on those products. And when it comes to advertising, HFSS products can’t run on broadcast TV or paid online ads during children’s viewing hours, nor can they be targeted at under-16s on social media, influencer channels or gaming platforms.
Most manufacturers we speak to are keen to steer clear of those restrictions, because they limit both visibility and sales opportunities. By using our nutrition analysis services, they can re-formulate their products to avoid an HFSS classification. This means every shelf space, every promotional fixture and every ad slot, opens ups and gives the product maximum reach with retailers and shoppers alike. And, of course, being able to label your product as non-HFSS reassures health-conscious consumers that they're making good choices.