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Program for calculation of Compulsory
Nutritional Information on Food and Drink Labels
Standard label
ANVISA is able to supply the program
for the calculation of nutritional information (in
portuguese) that should be displayed on the labels of those
foods packaged from as from September 21, 2001 in accordance with
the requirement under the Resolution that regulates the Compulsory
Nutritional Labeling of Packaged Foods and Drink (Resolution -
RDC 40, of March 21, 2001). This lays down that the relevant nutritional
information must appear on normal consumable amounts of the items
With the aim of determining the size of the aforementioned amounts,
the Table of Reference Values was created for Portions of Foods
and Drink for the purpose of Nutritional Labeling (Resolution
- RDC 39, of March 21, 2001)
The main aim of this program is to give support to the food industry
and manufacturers so that they are in a position to declare the
Nutritional Information of food products on the respective labels
and, as a result, to offer to the consumer the possibility of
a choice based upon this information.
To use this
programme it is necessary to bear in mind the following information:
- By the
end of the program, the manufacturer will have the nutritional
information required in accordance with the resolution governing
compulsory declaration of Nutritional Information, calculated
in vertical, horizontal and linear formats. If the manufacturer
is interested, he can also obtain the nutritional composition
of other nutrients not required by the aforementioned resolution.
The programme can make the relevant Nutritional Information
available in the Simplified Declaration format when the formula
of the product concerned is in accordance with the specific
regulation.
- The programme
is self-instructive, but an instruction manual is provided which
you can consult before using it. Before commencing, you must
have the complete formula of your product available, including
all the relevant items and quantities.
- The manufacturer
should choose one of the categories of products which appears
in the Table of Reference Values for Portions of Foods and Beverages
for the purpose of Nutritional Labeling.
- The database
for calculation is based on the List of Foods drawn up by Professor
Sônia Tucunduva Philippi of the University of São
Paulo. This table is a compilation of several others and it
contains in addition nutritional information assembled from
the labels of foods available in the market. These foods are
identified with the symbol ® by the side of its description.
The Table of Foods is available for consultation in the ANVISA
site.
- When one
of the ingredients of the formula of the product to be calculated
is not present in the List of Foods, the manufacturer must insert
data referring to the composition of the constituents of those
ingredients to be used for the calculation
- The use
of the Nutritional Information of a product with the registered
trade mark ® is not permitted. This means that for example
a cookie manufacturer cannot use the nutritional information
of a similar product, and must calculate its formula based upon
the ingredients contained in the product.
- The only
cases in which the Nutritional Information of foods showing
the registered trade mark ® is permitted is if the particular
food is one of the ingredients of a given product. For example
if a cookie bearing a registered trade mark is an ingredient
of an ice-cream, the nutritional information of the cookie,
if available in our list, can be used.
The present
Nutritional Information shown on the labels of foods and beverages
is the manufacturer's responsibility.
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