Ingredient Lists
applies to: nutraCoster 2.1, nutraCoster 3.0
nutraCoster automatically creates Ingredient Lists on Nutrition Facts labels, or on the Ingredient List report.
Use the Options for Nutrition Labels to include the Ingredient List with the Nutrition Label.
Here is what you need to know about ingredient labeling regulations.
- Ingredient Lists are required on food product labels in the US and Canada.
- Ingredients are to be listed using the "common or usual name".
- Ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance by weight.
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Ingredients that contain sub-ingredients can be listed in 2 ways.
- If you know the proportions of the sub-ingredients, they can be included in the main Ingredient List, properly sorted in terms of predominance by weight.
- You can list the sub-ingredients in parentheses, listed in descending order of predominance by weight inside the parentheses.
Here are links to the actual labeling regulations.
US: Designation of Ingredients.
How nutraCoster creates Ingredient Lists
nutraCoster calculates ingredient quantities for the specified serving size, and the ingredients are sorted in descending order of predominance by weight.
nutraCoster then uses the Ingredient List Description for each ingredient to create the Ingredient List.
Some ingredients might be grouped together as described below.
You can disable automatic calculation and manually override the ingredient statement. See Manual Override
To edit the Ingredient List Description:
- Use the General tab of the Change Item Window, or
- Use the Ingredient Statement tab of the Change Recipe/Formula window (nutraCoster 3.0 only).
Notes
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The Ingredient List Description field is unlimited length.
- If the cursor reaches the end of the entry field, the field will scroll indefinitely.
- If you resize the window to make the window taller, the Ingredient List Description field expands.
- If you receive a warning when creating the Ingredient List, make sure the Ingredient List Description field is not blank.
- nutraCoster automatically expands all sub-recipes to end-level ingredients. The Ingredient List includes only end-level ingredients and does not list the sub-recipes by name.
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The Ingredient List Descriptions can be any mixture of upper or lower case letters.
- Canada 2016 regulations require that the main ingredients use Proper case (first letter of each word captialized), with any sub-ingredients in parentheses in lower case (except abbreviations and acronyms).
- US regulations do not specify casing for the Ingredient List.
- nutraCoster automatically calculates Ingredient Lists for Recipes/Formulas. The Ingredient List Description field for a Recipe/Formula is read-only.
Languages
The Ingredient List Description can be entered in English, French and Spanish.
- To enter English, French, and Spanish Ingredient List Descriptions, enter the English, followed by a vertical bar ("|"), followed by the French, followed by a vertical bar ("|"), followed by the Spanish.
- You can enter any combination of the languages by including the corresponding vertical bars with or without text. Trailing vertical bars are not necessary.
example: The Ingredient List Description for “Sugars, Granulated” might be “Sugar | Sucre | Azucar”.
Options for Ingredient List Descriptions
You can use Ingredient List Description Options for grouping and positioning ingredients in the Ingredient List.
- Canada 2016 Sugar - Canada 2016 regulations require that sugars be combined and listed as "Sugars", with the individual sugars listed in parentheses. Ingredients marked as Canada 2016 Sugar will be automatically combined when you create any Canada 2016-style label.
- Canada End-of-List - Canada regulations allow certain ingredients to be listed at the end of the Ingredient Statement. Ingredients marked as Canada End-of-List are listed at the end in alphabetical order.
- Spice - Both US and Canada regulations allow certain ingredients to be combined and listed simply as "Spices". Ingredients marked as Spice will be combined and listed in the proper order of predominance by weight.
Ingredient Grouping
You can specify options for ingredient grouping when you create Nutrition Labels, when you create the Ingredient List Report, or when you preview the Ingredient Statement in the Change Recipe/Formula window.
Automatic Grouping
- Multiple Sub-recipes - If the same ingredient occurs in more than one sub-recipe, the quantities are combined to calculate the total weight, and the ingredient is listed once in the proper order of predominance by weight.
- Same Ingredient List Description - Similarly, if 2 ingredients have the same Ingredient List Description, the quantities are combined, and the total is listed in the proper order of predominance by weight.
- Canada 2016 Combine Sugars - Canada 2016 regulations require sugars to be combined. Ingredients marked as Canada 2016 Sugar will be combined and listed in the proper order of predominance by weight.
Sugars are combined automatically when you create any Canada 2016-style label. Combine Sugars is optional for the Ingredient List Report and when you preview the Ingredient Statement in the Change Recipe/Formula window.
Optional Grouping
These options are available when you create Nutrition Labels or the Ingredient List Report.
You can also use these options to preview the Ingredient Statement in the Ingredient Statement tab of the Change Recipe/Formula window.
- US - Include Contains 2% or less of ... - US regulations allow ingredients that are present at quantities of 2% or less of the total weight to be listed at the end of the Ingredient Statement in any order. nutraCoster lists these items alphabetically.
- Canada 2016 Combine Sugars - Canada 2016 regulations require sugars to be combined. Ingredients marked as Canada 2016 Sugar will be combined and listed in the proper order of predominance by weight.
Combine Sugars is optional for the Ingredient List Report and when you preview the Ingredient Statement in the Change Recipe/Formula window. Sugars are combined automatically when you create any Canada 2016-style label.
- Canada - Move End-of-List items to end - Canada regulations allow certain ingredients to be listed at the end of the Ingredient Statement. Ingredients marked as Canada End-of-List are listed at the end in alphabetical order.
- Combine Spices - Both US and Canada regulations allow certain ingredients to be combined and listed simply as "Spices". Ingredients marked as Spice will be combined and listed in the proper order of predominance by weight.
- Use the Saved Options from each Selected Recipe/Formula - report options are ignored and the Recipe/Formula options are used.
Manual Override
You can disable automatic calculation and manually override the ingredient statement. When you do so you are responsible for ensuring that your ingredient statement complies with the appropriate regulations.
Caution - Be aware of the following:
- nutraCoster will no longer maintain the ingredient statement for you.
- Ingredients must be listed in descending order of predominance by weight.
- Ingredients must be listed using the "common or usual" name.
- If you add or change ingredients in your recipe/formula or sub-recipes, you must remember to update the ingredient statement.
You can restore automatic calculation of the ingredient statement by removing the manual override.
Ingredient Statement Manual Override in Sub-recipes
By default, nutraCoster expands all sub-recipes to end-level ingredients. However, if a sub-recipe has an ingredient statement manual override, nutraCoster stops expanding the sub-recipe, and uses the overridden sub-recipe ingredient statement instead.
In this case, the sub-recipe is treated as an end-level ingredient.
Tip - You can use the calculated ingredient statement as a starting point for your manual override.
Before you override the ingredient statement, right click in the Ingredient Statement field and choose Copy entire Ingredient Statement to clipboard. Then after you check "Manual Override" you can paste the calculated ingredient statement into the Ingredient Statement field as a starting point.