FSANZ launches new healthy eating Nutrition Panel Calculator

As part of ongoing efforts to improve consumer diets and eating habits, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has launched a new version of its Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC). 

Available on the FSANZ website, the calculator features improved stability for uninterrupted access, a streamlined recipe creation process, and easier access to tips and guidance. 

Fundamentally, the NPC aims to make processes easier for food industry businesses such as food manufacturers. Accurately representing nutrition values for their products and compliance with legislated labelling requirements are two such examples.

For those unfamiliar with the NPC, the calculator helps businesses calculate the nutrient content of food products and prepare nutrition information panels accordingly. It also allows food businesses to input entire meals and recipes. When developing a new dish, for example, they can enter the ingredients into the calculator and save it. 

Furthermore, businesses can easily tweak certain elements and make changes when needed. Data is saved for each individual or organisation in a personal online database that is easily accessible for future reference.

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Labelling generated by the NPC is presented in an easy to understand chart that shows levels of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and sodium to name a few. This is immensely helpful in creating food labels that meet food standards requirements. It also assists those that are looking to lose weight by following a specific diet or becoming more generally informed about the nutritional content of their food. 

Ultimately, the NPC can help to combat rising obesity in the developed world through accurate knowledge and increased awareness of nutritional values. To this end, the new NPC continues to be free and widely used in promoting food safety and clarity from the manufacturing stage through to consumption. 

As it is a government level website and database, the NPC enjoys high levels of recognition and trust. Manufacturers and consumers know that the information, based on a robust nutrient dataset, is both accurate and reliable.

The NPC is a simple way businesses can ensure that their legally required labels meet government criteria. In turn, this data improves population health and safety and allows people greater insight into what they are consuming.

Article posted by: Food Safety Select