New Choices International Product Criteria launched

June 10th, 2015

Today the new Choices International Product Criteria are presented. The Choices International criteria are revised every four years to motivate food industry to keep improving its products. The revision is based on new nutrition insights and recommendations, on new technologies and on trends in the market. Over the past months the Choices International Scientific Committee, composed of independent leading food and nutrition experts, has been working hard to come up with an improved, and where possible, stricter set of criteria to facilitate healthier choices. While being in dialogue with the food industry, they determined the criteria in full independence. The main changes in the criteria are a decrease in the maximum level or salt and sugar in a number of food groups, the expression of all figures in (m)g per 100g or 100ml, and the shift of fruit juices from the basic food group to the non-basic food group due to their contribution to sugar intake. The new criteria are a major reference for the product criteria of the national Choices Programmes and can be used as a benchmark to foster innovation in the food sector. The International Scientific Committee appreciates sharing and discussing the criteria with other labeling systems and companies, to learn and to cooperate. An explanation of the 2015 product criteria revision can be found here.