Part 5: Nutritional Analysis – What serving size to label

Overconsumption of food and nutrients such as energy, carbohydrates, fat and sodium is common among consumers. For this reason, a serving-size indication is required as part of the typical nutritional information table, according to the regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs (R. 146/2010). But how does one determine an appropriate serving size?

What do the regulations say?

The regulations define ‘serving’ in relation to a foodstuff as the mass, volume or number of a foodstuff that is ‘typically’ consumed by ‘most’ people. The serving size must be appropriate for a single serving, and must not encourage consumers to consume super-sized servings, as this would lead to an undesirable increased intake in total energy, carbohydrates, fat and protein, which could contribute to unhealthy weight gain.

Evidence-based nutrition

Although the serving size must be determined by the manufacturer, the manufacturer is also required to produce scientific, evidence-based documentation justifying the serving size chosen, and provide such justification to an inspector on request. ‘Evidence-based’ nutrition means the utilisation of the most recent scientific evidence combined with clinical expertise and individual requirements. Dietitians are trained in this field, and are a valuable resource for helping to suggest appropriate serving sizes.

What is an ‘appropriate’ serving size?

First and foremost, this should be based on the macronutrient content of the food product, specifically the protein, carbohydrate and total fat. Other important considerations are the energy, sugar, saturated fat and sodium content. In addition, it is important to consider what component of a meal the product is intended to be; whether it is generally eaten with other foods as part of a meal, or whether it is considered a treat, and how much is generally consumed at one sitting.

Practicality

Serving sizes should be practical. The amount shown should always be a quantity or value that will be easily understood and implemented by the average consumer. Making a pack size easily divisible by the chosen serving size is one way to do this. An example, for a pack of biscuits: if there are 4 biscuits in a packet, a serving size of 1, 2 or 4 biscuits (depending on nutritional content) would be most practical – rather than 3 biscuits, which would leave 1 biscuit in the pack. And whatever is chosen should be indicated as such in the nutritional table, e.g. ‘per 30g serving (2 biscuits)’.

The draft guideline

The draft regulation relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuff (R. 429/2014) includes Guideline 11, which is based on a document compiled by Health Canada that suggests maximum serving sizes for various foodstuffs. Although this guideline forms part of the draft regulation, and is therefore not yet in effect, it may help as a starting point for determining serving sizes.

Depending on the type of product you manufacture, there may be a number of factors to consider. Learn more about determining appropriate and practical serving sizes in our Nutritional Information Masterclass, to be hosted on 7 September. Registrations close on 2 September.

To view the full reference list of this article, please contact us.

Other articles and resources you may be interested in:
Minimum labelling infographic
FACTS Nutritional Information
Part 1: Nutritional Analysis – A complete guide
Part 2: Nutritional Analysis – Include the table on the label or not?
Part 3: Nutritional Analysis – Needed or can it be calculated?
Part 4: Nutritional analysis – the what, how and where of sampling
Part 6: Nutritional Analysis – Red flags to look out for
What to keep on file, according to R. 146
Facilitated Analysis