A nutrition panel is the table on a food label that states energy and nutrients, usually per 100 g and sometimes per serving. Most competent Indian spice suppliers can give you the data, either from a laboratory analysis of the product or from a calculation based on the recipe.
The useful question is not whether they have numbers. It is how those numbers were produced, and whether they match the product you are actually buying.
Do spices and blends need one?
Not always. In the EU and UK, herbs, spices and mixtures of them are generally among the foods exempt from a mandatory nutrition declaration. The exemption can fall away if the product contains other ingredients, such as salt, sugar, flour or oil, or if you make a nutrition or health claim.
In the US, the FDA requires Nutrition Facts on most packaged foods, with exemptions for foods that contain insignificant amounts of nutrients. Plain spices often fall under this. Seasoning blends with salt or sugar may not.
Retail customers often ask for the data even where the law does not, for websites, apps and own-label specifications. Rules differ by market and change over time, so confirm the position for your product with your food law adviser or enforcement authority before printing labels.
What the data usually covers
The format depends on the market. A typical request covers:
- Energy, in kJ and kcal.
- Fat, and of which saturates.
- Carbohydrate, and of which sugars.
- Fibre, often requested even where it is optional.
- Protein.
- Salt or sodium, depending on the market.
- For the US format, further items such as trans fat, cholesterol, added sugars and some vitamins and minerals.
Lab analysis or calculation
There are two ways to produce a panel. A lab can run a proximate analysis on a sample: moisture, protein, fat, ash, fibre and sodium. Carbohydrate is then usually worked out by difference, and energy is calculated from the results.
The other route is calculation from the recipe, using published food composition tables. For a single spice, lab analysis of a real production sample is the more reliable choice. For a blend, calculation can be reasonable, but only if the recipe is accurate and the reference values suit Indian raw material.
Ask which method was used, and ask for the lab report where one exists. An analysis from an NABL-accredited laboratory gives you a document you can trace.
Checks before you print
The panel is one part of the label. Our guide to labelling rules for spice blends covers ingredients, allergens and origin. For the panel itself, run these checks.
- Ask for the original lab report, not a retyped table.
- Check that the sample was your product, grade and recipe, not a similar item.
- Check the date. Values should be refreshed when the recipe, raw material origin or process changes.
- Check that the salt figure is consistent with any salt in the ingredient list.
- Have your label designer or adviser apply your market's rounding and format rules.
- Treat values as typical. Natural products vary from crop to crop, so nutrient levels will move a little between lots.
How we help
We can draw a sealed sample from your production lot, have it analysed at an NABL-accredited lab and pass you the original report. If you need nutrition data for a new blend range, start with a free sourcing review.