17 Fit Food calories What the % on a label means
What the % on a food label means the EU’s reference values for vitamins and minerals
On a label, a vitamin or mineral is shown as a share of its nutrient reference value (NRV): an amount set by EU law for an average adult. The food pages on 17 Fit use the same values.
NRVs are references for labels, the same for everyone. They are not anyone’s personal requirement: your own needs depend on your age, sex, body size and health, and they change in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
The percentage on a label or on a food page here is for 100 g (or 100 ml) of the food, not for a day. A food with 40 % of the NRV of vitamin C per 100 g gives 20 % in 50 g.
The same values decide what a label may claim: a food is a “source of” a vitamin or mineral from 15 % of its NRV per 100 g and “high in” it from 30 % (for drinks, 7.5 % and 15 % per 100 ml).
Reference values and claims
For each vitamin and mineral: its NRV, the amount 100 g needs for a “source of” or “high in” claim, how many foods on 17 Fit are a source, and the three richest.
Vitamins
| Nutrient | NRV a day | “Source of”, per 100 g | “High in”, per 100 g | Sources on 17 Fit | Richest, % of NRV in 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 800 µg | 120 µg60 µg · 100 ml | 240 µg120 µg · 100 ml | 106 | — |
| Vitamin D | 5 µg | 0.75 µg0.375 µg · 100 ml | 1.5 µg0.75 µg · 100 ml | 76 | Sprats · Smoked 640%, Mackerel · Salted 504%, Carp 494% Ranking |
| Vitamin E | 12 mg | 1.8 mg0.9 mg · 100 ml | 3.6 mg1.8 mg · 100 ml | 142 | — |
| Vitamin K | 75 µg | 11.3 µg5.6 µg · 100 ml | 22.5 µg11.3 µg · 100 ml | 119 | — |
| Vitamin C | 80 mg | 12 mg6 mg · 100 ml | 24 mg12 mg · 100 ml | 113 | Guava 285%, Bell peppers · Yellow 229%, Blackcurrants 226% Ranking |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamin) | 1.1 mg | 0.165 mg0.083 mg · 100 ml | 0.33 mg0.165 mg · 100 ml | 144 | — |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | 1.4 mg | 0.21 mg0.105 mg · 100 ml | 0.42 mg0.21 mg · 100 ml | 189 | — |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | 16 mg | 2.4 mg1.2 mg · 100 ml | 4.8 mg2.4 mg · 100 ml | 180 | — |
| Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | 6 mg | 0.9 mg0.45 mg · 100 ml | 1.8 mg0.9 mg · 100 ml | 105 | — |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.4 mg | 0.21 mg0.105 mg · 100 ml | 0.42 mg0.21 mg · 100 ml | 203 | — |
| Folate (B9) | 200 µg | 30 µg15 µg · 100 ml | 60 µg30 µg · 100 ml | 206 | — |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5 µg | 0.375 µg0.188 µg · 100 ml | 0.75 µg0.375 µg · 100 ml | 219 | Beef liver · Braised 2,823%, Calf’s liver 2,624%, Octopus · Cooked 1,440% Ranking |
Minerals
| Nutrient | NRV a day | “Source of”, per 100 g | “High in”, per 100 g | Sources on 17 Fit | Richest, % of NRV in 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 2,000 mg | 300 mg150 mg · 100 ml | 600 mg300 mg · 100 ml | 257 | TVP (textured vegetable protein) · Dry 124%, Wild mushrooms · Dried mix 104%, Porcini · Dried 95% Ranking |
| Calcium | 800 mg | 120 mg60 mg · 100 ml | 240 mg120 mg · 100 ml | 121 | Parmesan 148%, Pecorino 133%, Gruyère 126% Ranking |
| Phosphorus | 700 mg | 105 mg52.5 mg · 100 ml | 210 mg105 mg · 100 ml | 380 | — |
| Magnesium | 375 mg | 56.3 mg28.1 mg · 100 ml | 113 mg56.3 mg · 100 ml | 105 | Hemp seeds 187%, Pumpkin seeds 158%, Flaxseed 105% Ranking |
| Iron | 14 mg | 2.1 mg1.1 mg · 100 ml | 4.2 mg2.1 mg · 100 ml | 147 | Pork liver 166%, Blood sausage 124%, Chicken livers · Pan-fried 92% Ranking |
| Zinc | 10 mg | 1.5 mg0.75 mg · 100 ml | 3 mg1.5 mg · 100 ml | 193 | Oysters 379%, Crab · Canned 119%, Beef · Boiled 105% Ranking |
| Copper | 1 mg | 0.15 mg0.075 mg · 100 ml | 0.3 mg0.15 mg · 100 ml | 223 | — |
| Manganese | 2 mg | 0.3 mg0.15 mg · 100 ml | 0.6 mg0.3 mg · 100 ml | 229 | — |
| Selenium | 55 µg | 8.3 µg4.1 µg · 100 ml | 16.5 µg8.3 µg · 100 ml | 293 | — |
| Iodine | 150 µg | 22.5 µg11.3 µg · 100 ml | 45 µg22.5 µg · 100 ml | 79 | — |
Sources on 17 Fit: the food pages in this language that meet “source of” in 100 g, prepared dishes aside. The richest are named for the nutrients 17 Fit ranks, whose leaders have been checked; fortified foods, powders and what’s eaten a pinch at a time don’t lead. Values: Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, Annex XIII; thresholds: Regulation (EC) 1924/2006, Annex.
Energy and macronutrients
The reference intakes (RI) an EU label uses for an average adult, a day.
| Energy | 8,400 kJ / 2,000 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 70 g |
| Saturates | 20 g |
| Carbohydrate | 260 g |
| Sugars | 90 g |
| Protein | 50 g |
| Salt | 6 g |
Other claims on labels
Set per 100 g (or 100 ml of a drink) by Regulation (EC) 1924/2006. Each food page on 17 Fit shows which a food meets.
- Source of protein, high in protein At least 12 % or 20 % of the food’s energy comes from protein.
- Source of fibre, high in fibre At least 3 g or 6 g of fibre per 100 g, or 1.5 g or 3 g per 100 kcal.
- Low fat, fat-free At most 3 g of fat per 100 g (1.5 g per 100 ml of a drink), or at most 0.5 g.
- Low, very low or no salt At most 0.12 g, 0.04 g or 0.005 g of sodium per 100 g.
- Low energy At most 40 kcal per 100 g, or 20 kcal per 100 ml of a drink.
Questions and answers
What does NRV mean?
Nutrient reference value: the amount of a vitamin or mineral that EU food labels count as 100 %. Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 sets it for an average adult, so every label uses the same figure.
Is the NRV how much I need?
Not exactly. It is a reference for labels, the same for everyone. Your own needs depend on your age, sex, body size and health, and they are higher in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. A doctor or a dietitian can tell you yours.
What does 30 % of the NRV per 100 g mean?
That 100 g of the food holds 30 % of the reference amount. A portion holds proportionally more or less: 50 g gives 15 %.
When may a food say it is a source of a vitamin?
When 100 g holds at least 15 % of its NRV; “high in” needs 30 %. For drinks, the thresholds are 7.5 % and 15 % per 100 ml.
Why do some labels say RI and not NRV?
RI, reference intake, is the term for energy and the macronutrients: 2,000 kcal, 70 g of fat, 50 g of protein and so on. NRV is the term for vitamins and minerals. Both come from the same regulation.
Where do the values on 17 Fit come from?
The NRVs and RIs from Regulation (EU) 1169/2011. Each food’s nutrients from official food composition databases such as USDA FoodData Central, CIQUAL and CoFID, named on every food page.