Product criteria

An independent Scientific Committee is responsible for developing the international nutrition criteria for products that can carry the Choices stamp. The product criteria are credible and reliable, as the Committee develops it in accordance to the latest scientific research and market information. The underlying methodology has been published in the peer reviewed European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Principles

The product criteria are used to evaluate food products based on their nutritional composition. The criteria are firmly grounded in four key principles:

  • Based on sound, scientific evidence.
  • Applicable to all foods and beverages.
  • Practical to implement.
  • Globally applicable.

Some products are excluded from evaluation: alcoholic beverages, supplements, food products prescribed under medical supervision, and infant food (<1 year-old).

Download the product criteria version 2.3 (pdf).

Minor deviations are possible on the regional and/or national level in Europe, due to specific diets and regulations in force. The national foundation will provide you with the exact criteria in force in your country. You may find a list of all Choices national foundations on the left side of this page.

In other regions as Europe, where diets are more diverse and daily meals composed of different basic ingredients, the latest product criteria are reviewed by a special committee of local scientists who will establish deviations, as well as new product groups if need be. The criteria are currently being re-drafted in India to fit the regional diets, and we expect the Choices programme to be launched very soon in this country and later on to further expand to Asia.
A review process for Israel is also taking place at the moment.

Product nutrition criteria

Product criteria are set for four key nutrients (trans fat, fat, sugar and sodium), based on international dietary guidelines from the World Health Organization. The aim of these criteria is:

  • To limit the intake of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium (salt) and added sugar; i.e. nutrients that have been demonstrated to negatively impact human health when consumed in high amounts.
  • To ensure the intake of beneficial nutrients, such as dietary fibre.
  • To promote an appropriate energy intake.

Review process

In order to further stimulate product innovation and reformulation, the criteria are reviewed by the Scientific Committee periodically, taking into account the latest developments in nutritional science and the market.

More information on the product criteria

Generic criteria were first established (see below) from which specific criteria were then derived for various product groups. The generic criteria are somewhat less stringent than recommendations for total daily intake because diets consist of many food products, not all of which contain saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, or added sugar. Ultimately, the total daily intake of food products should be in line with recommendations of (inter)national dietary authorities.

Nutrient WHO dietary recommendations Generic criteria
Saturated fat 10 en% 13 en% or 1.1 g/100g
Trans fat 1 en% 1.3 en% or 0.1 g/100g
Sodium 1.2 mg/kcal1 1.3 mg/kcal
Added sugar 10 en% 13 en% or 2.5g/100g
Dietary fibre 1.3 g/100 kcal2 1.3 g/100 kcal

1 Based on 2.4 g/day, calculated from the energy recommendation for women = 2000 kcal/d.

2 Based on 25 g/day, calculated from the energy recommendation for women = 2000 kcal/d.