Why were the reference amounts for snack foods and soft drinks increased?
One of the uses of the reference amounts established in the Regulations is to determine what constitutes a single serving container of a food [B.01.002A(2)]. Over the past few years there has been a noticeable increase in the size of single serving containers of snack foods and carbonated and non-carbonated beverages on the market. Based on nutrition labeling consultations, it was agreed that consumers need nutrition information based on the entire content of a package likely to be consumed as a single serving. With the growing concern about obesity, it is particularly important that consumers have clear information on the calorie content of the foods they consume. Therefore, to reflect the changes in the market place, the reference amounts were increased for snack foods from 30 g to 50 g and for carbonated and non-carbonated beverages from 250 ml to 355 ml.
