A claim about the presence or amount of a nutrient or substance in a food, regulated under Standard 1.2.7 of the Food Standards Code.
A claim about the presence or amount of a nutrient or substance in a food, regulated under Standard 1.2.7 of the Food Standards Code. A nutrition content claim is a statement on a food label or in advertising about the content of a nutrient or biologically active substance, for example low fat, good source of fibre, no added sugar or high in protein. In Australia these claims are regulated under Standard 1.2.7 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which sets the conditions a food must meet before a particular claim can be made. Nutrition content claims are distinct from, but related to, health claims. A content claim describes how much of a nutrient is present, whereas a health claim links a nutrient or food to a health effect. To make a content claim, the food must satisfy the specific criteria in Standard 1.2.7, and the relevant nutrient must be declared in the nutrition information panel so the claim can be verified. For a food business, making a nutrition content claim means first checking the conditions in Standard 1.2.7 for that exact claim and confirming the product meets them, then ensuring the nutrition information panel supports the statement. A claim such as source of calcium or reduced salt has defined thresholds and, for comparative claims, rules about the reference food being compared against. Because a content claim can influence purchasing, it must be truthful and not misleading, and any nutrient referred to needs to be declared in the panel. Businesses commonly check both the claim conditions and the panel together, since making a claim can trigger the requirement to list an extra nutrient that would not otherwise appear. A cereal maker wanting to state good source of fibre confirms the product meets the fibre threshold set for that claim in Standard 1.2.7, adds a dietary fibre row to the nutrition information panel to support the statement, and keeps the calculation on file so the claim can be substantiated if a regulator asks.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nutrition content claim?
It is a claim about the presence or amount of a nutrient or substance in a food, such as low fat, high in protein or no added sugar.
Which standard regulates nutrition content claims?
They are regulated under Standard 1.2.7 of the Food Standards Code, which sets the conditions a food must meet before each claim can be made.
How is a content claim different from a health claim?
A content claim describes how much of a nutrient is present, while a health claim links a food or nutrient to a health effect on the body.
Does making a content claim affect the nutrition information panel?
Yes. The nutrient referred to in the claim must be declared in the panel, so making a claim can require an extra row to be added.
Can any food make a low or high claim?
No. The food must meet the specific criteria set for that claim in Standard 1.2.7, and the claim must be truthful and not misleading.
