Ask Dr Nerenberg | Health and Fitness

How do you obtain the correct nutritional information to put on food?

I am starting a candy business and will sell the candy in boxes. I want to make sure I get the correct nutritional information. I went to the USDA nutrition database and entered toffee but the list was a mile long. How do I go about putting only what is needed as far as nutrition values?

What you are first going to need to do is determine what the serving size or your item is. Let’s use toffee, for instance. You’ll need to go to the FDA website and search through the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21. You’re looking specifically for something called a “reference amount.” The reason there is a 1/2 cup serving on every ice cream out there is because it’s spelled out in this Code of Federal Regulations that 1/2 cup is a serving size. If there is no reference amount for your item, then choose whatever you like.

Once you have determined your serving size (or reference amount), request specifications and nutritional information from the suppliers of your ingredients. Let’s say you’re making a raspberry truffle. You need the specification and nutritional information from the chocolate, the cream, the sugar, the cocoa butter, the raspberry puree and so on. Then, you may want to invest in some software. A good example might be NutraCoster or Genesis. You can enter that information from the nutritionals into the program, and the use the software to generate labeling information.

You may also want to consult with a lawyer or someone else well versed in labeling laws to determine if your product is labeled according to all of the laws and regulations. There are certain fonts you are allowed to use and certain sizes that characters need to be.

Let me know if you have any more questions or need some more guidance.

Perfect Portions Glass-Top Nutritional Scale

EatSmart Digital Nutrition Scale – Professional Food and Nutrient Calculator $69.95 NEW FEATURES (as of February 2010) – Now features a white backlight to fully illuminate the display for easy readings. Weigh capacity has been increased to 11 lbs. to allow you to weigh most things in your kitchen! The EatSmart Digital Nutrition Scale analyzes the nutritional content of ANY food by portion size and was designed by an unparalleled team of medical professionals. The database stores…

Kitrics Digital Nutrition Scale (Silver) $39.95 If you’re watching your nutrition closely, this scale and nutritional calculator can help. Simply enter a food code from the provided list of 1999 common foods, and place the food item on the scale platform. The item will be weighted, and the nutritional facts for that portion displayed. Store customizeable food code entries for foods that aren’t already in the database, and tally up your daily …

Digital Kitchen Nutritional Scale — Calculates The Nutritional Value of Your Food (Calories / Carbs Etc.) For a Healthy Diet $34.95 Track calories, fats, carbs, fiber and more with this easy-to-use Digital Kitchen Scale.A scale and a calculator all in one, this essential dieting tool calculates portion weight, and displays all the information the way you’re used to seeing it on food packaging labels: an at-a-glance breakdown of calories, fats, carbs, proteins, fiber, sodium, cholesterol and sugars. You can also total your dail…

Extreme Zone NutriGuide Nutrition Sports Science Electronic Calculator (Needs replacement of CR2450 3V battery) $49.95 (Needs replacement of CR2450 3V battery) The NutriGuide has room for only 40 user-defined food items, but there are more than 10,000 (3,500 fast foods) already in the database. The device monitors eight nutritional values: fats, saturated fats, calories, cholesterol, carbs, sodium, fiber, and protein. As with NutriCounter, NutriGuide adjusts nutritional data when you change the food portion you’v…

CalorieSmart Calorie Counter Tracker $0.99 4+~~Coheso, Inc.~~Coheso, Inc~~http://itunes.apple.com/app/caloriesmart-calorie-counter/id314870192?uo=5~~Coheso, Inc.~~3.1~~3324794~~10223628~~http://www.mycaloriesmart.com/caloriesmart~~http://www.mycaloriesmart.com/support

Carb Manager $2.99 4+~~Wombat Apps~~Wombat Apps LLC~~http://itunes.apple.com/app/carb-manager/id410089731?uo=5~~Wombat Apps LLC~~1.19~~4519444~~5055311~~~~http://wombatapps.com