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RIs

LEARN ABOUT FOOD NUTRITION LABELLING

Find out what you need to know about the European food and drink industry’s labelling scheme, how to use it and why it’s been chosen to appear on many of your favourite products.

FROM GDAs to RIs: OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT

Since 2005, FoodDrinkEurope and many of its members have voluntarily adopted the so-called “Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) scheme”, a labelling scheme initiative that provides you with valuable information on the nutrient content of your foods.

Because of new European rules, food labels are changing and the new term “Reference Intakes” (“RI”) instead of “GDA” is being introduced; however, the commitment in providing you with this information will remain the same.

WHAT ARE REFERENCE INTAKES?

RIs ARE:

FACTUAL AND INFORMATIVE:

They provide you with nutrition information about your food, empowering you to make your own judgement based on your dietary needs

OBJECTIVE

RIs are science-based; they have been proposed by the European Food Safety Authority and they are now formalised under European law.

CLEAR AND USER-FRIENDLY:

RIs offer you meaningful information in a clear and simple format


Reference Intakes (RIs), also known as GDAs, is the new term for the nutrition icon(s) that you can find on the front of pack of many of your favourite products.

RIs display how many calories and how much sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt is in each portion of your preferred products and what each amount represents as a percentage of an average person’s daily dietary needs.

What a person needs in terms of energy and nutrients varies depending on age, weight, height, gender and the level of physical activity. As such, the information provided by the Reference Intakes serves as a guide only and is not to be considered as individualised advice.

To find out more about Reference Intakes, explore our interactive label.

WHY DO WE NEED REFERENCE INTAKES?

  • RIs give you at-a- glance information on how much energy and nutrients are in your foods.
  • RIs enable you to focus on the nutrient(s) that are important for you.
  • RIs empower you to compare similar products and to make your own best choice.
  • RIs allow you to evaluate a product’s place in your daily diet, helping you to compose a balanced diet that fits your individual needs and lifestyle.

RIs are here to help you choose between products in a supermarket, pick what you can have for a meal at home or work and decide what you can drink or snack on when you are out. This is a three-step process that includes exploring the label, comparing your options and making the right decision based on your preferences and dietary needs.