Percentage Labelling(QUID)

What is Percentage Labelling?

Percentage labelling — also known as QUID (Quantitative Ingredient Declaration) — is the requirement to declare the percentage of a characterising ingredient or component in a food when that ingredient or component is emphasised on the label or is integral to characterising the food. The requirements are set out in FSANZ Standard 1.2.10 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

When Percentage Labelling is Required

Standard 1.2.10 requires the percentage of a characterising ingredient or component to be declared when it is:

1. Named in the product name — for example, "Blueberry Muffin" must declare the percentage of blueberries.
2. Emphasised in words on the label — for example, "made with real cheese" requires the cheese percentage.
3. Depicted in a picture or graphic on the label — if blueberries appear on the packaging, their percentage must be declared.

The percentage refers to the ingoing weight of the characterising ingredient as a proportion of the total ingoing weight of all ingredients, expressed as a percentage.

Where the Percentage Must Appear

The percentage declaration must appear in the ingredient list, either immediately after the name of the characterising ingredient — for example, "Blueberries (25%)" — or in the product name itself — for example, "Beef Burger (80% beef)". Both placements are acceptable.

The Ingoing Weight Calculation

The percentage is calculated on the basis of the ingoing weights of ingredients, which means the weight at the point they are added to the recipe, before any cooking, evaporation, or processing. This is the same basis used for the ingredient list order under Standard 1.2.4.

Exception for concentrated or dried ingredients: If a characterising ingredient has been added in a concentrated or dried form and water is added or lost during processing, the percentage may be calculated either on the ingoing weight of the concentrated or dried ingredient or on the reconstituted weight — provided you use the approach most meaningful to the consumer.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to declare after changing the formulation. If you increase or decrease the proportion of a characterising ingredient — for example, adding more fruit to a jam — the declared percentage must be updated.

Depicting an ingredient on the pack without checking the declaration requirement. A picture of a strawberry on the label triggers the percentage declaration requirement for strawberries, even if the text doesn't mention them. This catches many manufacturers off guard during label reviews.

Using the finished product weight rather than the ingoing weight. Some products lose significant moisture during cooking. The percentage must be based on ingoing weight, which will typically be higher (for a cooked meat product, for example) than the finished product percentage.

How Batchbase Calculates Percentage Labelling

Batchbase calculates the ingoing weight percentage of every ingredient in your recipe automatically. When you mark an ingredient as the characterising ingredient for a product, Batchbase displays its percentage for label declaration and recalculates it whenever the recipe changes.

Related Standards and References

• FSANZ Standard 1.2.10 — Characterising ingredients and components of food
• FSANZ Standard 1.2.4 — Statement of ingredients (ingoing weight order)
• FSANZ food standards code