1.1 Percentages

The UK government states that the percentage of an ingredient must be shown if it is:

• highlighted by the labelling or a picture on the package, for example ‘extra cheese’
• mentioned in the name of the product, for example ‘cheese and onion pasty’
• normally connected with the name by the consumer, for example fruit in a summer pudding.

Did you identify all of these factors in Activity 1? Do you think manufacturers should give percentages for any other ingredients? Should they give percentages for all of them?

Figure 2 Back label highlighting the main ingredients of corn, palm oil and salt

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Image is of a food label showing the ingredient percentages.

Figure 2 Back label highlighting the main ingredients of corn, palm oil and salt

Manufacturers should know roughly the percentage of all the ingredients in their product, if the ‘recipe’ is followed accurately during the manufacturing process. This is one method they could use to complete the details in the ‘Nutritional information’ part of the food label.