Since the advent of science and technology, a lot has changed today. This also includes the changed purchasing habits. Customers don’t buy food & beverages without checking the nutritional labeling. This is precisely one of the reasons why ‘Nutritional Analysis’ is important for manufacturers and producers. Another crucial factor here is regulatory authorities that certify the manufactured products. They, too, have raised the standards and testing parameters. ‘Consumer Awareness’ and ‘Statutory Guidelines’ have led companies to be careful of what they put into their products. Cultivator Phyto Lab has been a pioneer in this field since its inception by providing companies with accurate, genuine, and transparent Nutritional Analysis and Nutritional Labelling tests with a fast turnaround time (TAT).

To name the most prominent authority in India, FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), has prescribed some statutory guidelines to food & beverages manufacturers. The anthropometric indicators of nutrition in food products have been relatively poor over the past. The socio-economic history of India has changed over time & the per-capita income has increased. With better resources available, better products are being manufactured & offered in the market.

What is Nutritional Analysis?

Nutritional Analysis is an important part of producing, manufacturing, and processing food & beverages products. It is the process to determine the nutritional contents of a food product. It provides information about the composition of macronutrients, micronutrients, and other elements in the food along with the changes that occur in the processed food & possibility of any contamination (that also includes contamination identification). The process should be undertaken by an advanced completely equipped laboratory with physio-chemical testing, followed by microbiological & instrumental testing as per the requirements. A detailed and accurate report of nutrition present in the food (raw ingredients/ final product) namely mandatory compositions viz. calories, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, sugar, protein, vitamins & minerals should comply with FSSAI guidelines. Also, trace elements, heavy metals, or any residue presence (if any) should be negligible, within the prescribed statutory guidelines.

What a Manufacturer should know about Nutritional Analysis?

If you are a producer or manufacturer of food products or beverages, juices, cereals, snacks, bakery items, confectionaries, dairy, dietary supplements, infant formulae, organic foods, spices, etc. you should have your products tested for the following parameters:

• Macros like protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, total sugar, added sugar, preservatives
• Antinutrients, amino acids
• Carbohydrates
• Total dietary fiber
• Lipid and fatty acid
• Specific fatty acid content (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans, Omega-3, and Omega-6)
• Cholesterol
• Minerals, vitamins, micronutrients (including A (retinol, beta-carotene) and Retinyl acetate & Retinyl palmitate, B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12), C (ascorbic acid), D (ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol), E (tocopherols), Contaminants (pesticides, mycotoxins, and antibiotics), Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium)