Nutritional Claims

What are Nutritional Claims?

Nutritional claims are statements made on food labels or in marketing about the nutrient content of a food, such as "low fat", "high fibre", "reduced sodium", or "source of calcium". Under FSANZ Standard 1.2.7, these claims are regulated — each claim type has specific eligibility criteria that the food must meet in order to make that claim legally.

The purpose of nutritional claim regulation is to prevent misleading marketing. A product cannot claim "low fat" unless it meets the regulatory definition of "low fat"; a product cannot claim "high fibre" unless it meets the "high fibre" threshold.

Common Nutritional Claims and Eligibility Criteria

Nutrient content claims:

• "Low fat" — less than 3g fat per 100g (or 1.5g per 100mL for liquids)
• "Fat-free" — less than 0.5g fat per 100g
• "Low sodium" — less than 120mg sodium per 100g
• "High fibre" — at least 6g fibre per 100g (or per serving, at least 3g)
• "High protein" — at least 20% of energy from protein
• "Source of calcium" — at least 120mg calcium per 100g

Comparative claims:

• "Reduced fat" — at least 25% less fat than the comparable regular product
• "Lower salt" — at least 25% less salt than the comparable regular product
• "Increased fibre" — at least 25% more fibre than the comparable regular product

Each claim type has specific eligibility criteria set out in Standard 1.2.7. The criteria differ based on whether the claim is about the inherent properties of the food or a change from a standard formulation.

Nutritional Claims in Practice for Australian Food Manufacturers

What are the compliance obligations? If you make any nutrient content claim, you must: (1) meet the specific eligibility criteria for that claim; (2) substantiate the claim with appropriate testing or documented evidence; (3) not make claims that are misleading (e.g. claiming "low fat" if the product is very high in sugar).

Common mistakes:

Making a comparative claim without identifying the comparable product. If you claim "reduced salt", you must specify "compared to our regular product" or "compared to similar products". The comparison baseline must be transparent.

Using unqualified statements like "natural" or "wholesome". These terms are not defined in the Food Standards Code and are not considered regulated nutrient content claims. However, they could be misleading if used to imply specific nutritional benefits.

Failing to meet the eligibility criteria. A common breach is claiming "low fat" when the product contains 3.5g fat per 100g — just over the threshold. The product does not qualify for the claim, even if it is close.

Worked example: A snack food manufacturer produces a new biscuit formulation with reduced added sugar. To claim "Reduced Sugar" (a comparative claim), they must: (1) reformulate the product to contain at least 25% less sugar than their original biscuit; (2) identify the comparable product on the pack ("compared to our regular biscuit"); (3) retain documentation showing the nutrient analysis of both products.

How Batchbase Supports Nutritional Claim Validation

When you enter your product's nutrient profile into Batchbase, the system can flag whether your product meets the eligibility criteria for specific claims. If you claim "high fibre", Batchbase can verify that your product contains at least 6g fibre per 100g. If the product does not meet the threshold, you are alerted before the label is printed.

Related Standards and References

• FSANZ Standard 1.2.7 — Nutrition, health and related claims
• FSANZ food standards code