Table 2 Overview of generic and product-group-specific criteria^a for basic and discretionary product groups^b

From: Development of international criteria for a front of package food labelling system: the International Choices Programme

Product group				Nutrients to limit				Fibre
		Comments	Energy	Saturated fat	Trans-fat	Sodium	Added sugars
Daily nutrient recommendations		From Joint WHO/FAO consultation (2001, 2003)	2000 kcal per day	<10 en%	<1 en%	2000 mg per day=1 mg/kcal (based on 2000 kcal per day)	<10 en%	25 g per day=1.3 g/100 kcal (based on 2000 kcal per day)
Generic criteria (energy based)		Generic energy-based criteria=daily nutrient recommendation+30%	NA	⩽13 en%	⩽1.3 en%	⩽1.3 mg/kcal	⩽13 en%	⩾1.3 g/100 kcal
Generic criteria, insignificancy levels (per 100 g)		Generic insignificancy levels=5% of daily nutrient recommendation per 100 g (based on 2000 kcal per day)	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	⩽2.5 g/100 g	NA
Basic product groups
Fruit and vegetables^c	Fresh or fresh-frozen fruit, vegetables and legumes	All products without additives comply	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
	Processed fruit and vegetables	Source of fibre can only be fruit and vegetables	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	Not added	⩾1.3 g/100 kcal
	Fruit juices	Source of fibre can only be fruit	⩽48 kcal/100 ml	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	Not added	⩾0.75 g/100 kcal
Water^c	Water (plain)		NA	NA	NA	⩽20 mg/100 ml	NA	NA
Sources of carbohydrates^c	Potatoes (unprocessed)	All products without additives comply	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
	Potatoes (processed), pasta, noodles	Source of fibre can only be the main ingredient (for example, potatoes, grains)	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	Not added	⩾1.3 g/100 kcal
	Rice	Source of fibre can only be rice	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	Not added	⩾0.7 g/100 kcal
	Bread	Source of fibre can only be the main ingredient (for example, grains)	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽500 mg/100 g	⩽13 en%	⩾1.3 g/100kcal
	Grains and cereal products	Source of fibre can only be grains	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	⩽2.5 g/100 g	⩾1.3 g/100 kcal
	Breakfast cereal products	Source of fibre can only be grains	NA	⩽13 en%	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽500 mg/100 g	⩽20 g/100 g	⩾1.3 g/100 kcal
Meat^c	Meat, poultry, eggs (unprocessed)	Naturally occurring trans-fat from meat is excluded	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%^d	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	Not added	NA
	Processed meat, meat products and meat substitutes	Naturally occurring trans-fat from meat is excluded	NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽900 mg/100 g	⩽2.5 g/100 g	NA
Fish^c	Fresh or fresh–frozen fish, shellfish and crustaceans		NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽30% of total fat	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	Not added	NA
	Processed fish or fish products		NA	⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽30% of total fat	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽450 mg/100 g	Not added	NA
Dairy^c	Milk (products)	Naturally occurring trans-fat from milk is excluded	NA	⩽1.4 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽100 mg/100 g	⩽5 g/100 g	NA
	Cheese (products)	Naturally occurring trans-fat from milk is excluded	NA	⩽15 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽900 mg/100 g	Not added	NA
Oils and fats^c	Oils, fats and fat containing spreads	Naturally occurring trans-fat from milk is excluded	NA	⩽30% of total fat	⩽1.3 en%	⩽1.3 mg/kcal	Not added	NA
Composite dishes	Main course	Naturally occurring trans-fat from meat or milk is excluded Source of fibre can only be one of the main ingredient (for example, potatoes, vegetables, grains)	400–700 kcal per serving	⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	⩽0.1 g/100 g or ⩽1.3 en%	⩽2.2 mg/kcal	⩽2.5 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	1.25 g/100 kcal
	Filled sandwiches/rolls	Naturally occurring trans-fat from meat or milk is excluded Source of fibre can only be the main ingredients (for example, vegetables, grains)	⩽350 kcal per serving	⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	⩽0.1 g/100 g or ⩽1.3 en%	⩽1.9 mg/kcal	⩽2.5 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	⩾0.8 g/100 kcal
Discretionary product groups
	Soups		⩽100 kcal/100 g	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽300 mg/100 g	⩽2.5 g/100 g	NA
	Meal sauces		⩽100 kcal/100 g	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽450 mg/100 g	⩽2.5 g/100 g	NA
	Other sauces (on water basis)		⩽100 kcal/100 g	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽750 mg/100 g	NA	NA
	Other sauces (emulsions)		⩽350 kcal/100 g	⩽1.1 g/100 g or 30% total fat	⩽0.1 g/100 g or 1.3 en%	⩽750 mg/100 g	⩽2.5 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	NA
	Snacks (pastry, edible ice, sweet and savoury snacks)		⩽110 kcal per serving	⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	⩽0.1 g/100 g or ⩽1.3 en%	⩽400 mg/100 g	⩽20 g/100 g	NA
	Beverages		⩽20 kcal/100 ml	⩽1.1 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽20 mg/100 g	NA	NA
	Bread toppings incl. hummus-like products		NA	⩽13 en%	⩽1.3 en%	⩽400 mg/100 g	⩽30 g/100 g	NA
	All other products			⩽1.1 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	⩽0.1 g/100 g or ⩽1.3 en%	⩽100 mg/100 g or ⩽1.3 mg/kcal	⩽2.5 g/100 g or ⩽13 en%	NA
National deviation example
	Soft white cheese (Israel)	Naturally occurring trans-fat from milk is excluded	NA	⩽2 g/100 g	⩽0.1 g/100 g	⩽400 mg/100 g	Not added	NA

Abbreviation: NA, not applicable.
1 kcal=4.186 kJ; en%=for a specific food: energy delivered by this nutrient (kcal), divided by the total energy content (kcal) of the food, multiplied by 100.
^aCriteria are applicable to all foods and beverages, except infant and follow-up formulas; products containing >0.5% alcohol.
^bFor a detailed description of product groups, see Supplementary Appendix 4 ‘Overview of product group descriptions, criteria and rationales’.
^cBasic product groups are based on the product group classifications as used in food-based dietary guidelines in more than 20 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, The Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK and Europe. See Supplementary Appendix 4 for references.
^dIf possible, the generic criteria are fixed per product group: either as en% or g/100 g. However, if this leads to the needless exclusion of low-energy foods, both generic criteria (en% or as g/100 g) can be used.

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Table 2 Overview of generic and product-group-specific criteria^a for basic and discretionary product groups^b

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