The legislation allows for various methods of calculating the nutrient values. It does not necessarily require laboratory analysis and it may be possible for a food business operator to calculate the values themselves depending on the type of product.
The declared values in the nutrition table are average values* and must be based on:
- the manufacturer's analysis of the food
- a calculation from the known or actual average values of the ingredients used; or
- a calculation from generally established and accepted data
*
The nutrient values are average values to take into account the natural variation in foodstuffs due to, for example, seasonality or supplier differences. However, there is EU guidance on the permitted tolerances for nutrient values which should be consulted.