07 April 2004 | Filed under Low Carb : Articles + Low Carb : FAQs + Nutrition : Fibre
UK food labelling and fibre count
From the UK Food Labelling & Standards Division - Food Standards Agency:
"There are regulations that stipulate when and how the nutrition information panel must be presented on the food label. In the UK, the term 'carbohydrate' as it appears in the nutrition information panel refers to carbohydrates that are metabolised by man (including sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, mannitol). Fibre, on UK labels, does not form part of the total 'carbohydrate' value and sometimes it is listed as a completely distinct item. In effect therefore the 'carbohydrate' value does not include the 'fibre' value.
I am aware that nutrition information panels are different in the US. My
understanding is that in the US the 'Total Carbohydrate' value appearing in a nutrition information panel on a US label includes the fibre content of the product, hence the advice to deduct 'Dietary fiber' from 'Total Carbohydrate' in the US."




