How to read the nutrition facts table: per 100 g or per serving
To compare products, use the “per 100 g” column, but calculate how much you’ve eaten based on the actual weight of the portion consumed. Russian regulations allow manufacturers to list nutritional information only per serving, making serving size the sole factor that turns 140 kcal into 480.
What the regulation requires
Labeling rules are set by Technical Regulation TR CU 022/2011 (text on EEC website). According to Article 4, nutritional value includes energy value, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates; for fortified products, it also includes vitamins and minerals.
Values must be provided “per 100 grams or 100 milliliters and/or per serving.” The phrase “and/or” means that one option is sufficient. If a serving size is chosen, its quantity must be clearly indicated on the label. A table showing values only “per serving” is legally acceptable, but such a table cannot be used to compare two products.
Two additional provisions affect how to read the table:
- For products prepared by the consumer, values are given without accounting for preparation—i.e., for dry mixes, grains, or pasta, the figures refer to the dry product;
- Values are determined by the manufacturer “by analytical or calculation methods,” and the note “Average values” may optionally accompany the table but is not mandatory.
The serving size trap
Serving size is not defined by the regulation—the manufacturer sets it themselves. For example, muesli might contain 480 kcal per 100 g, but the label states a serving size of 30 g, which equals 144 kcal—a modest figure prominently displayed. If you pour 70 g, you consume 336 kcal; the entire 250 g package contains 1200 kcal. The “per serving” figure is accurate only for the stated 30 g.
Two approaches help avoid mistakes. First: use the “per 100 g” column and multiply by the actual weight in grams. Second: check how many servings are listed per package and compare that with how much you actually eat at once. How to estimate portion weight without scales is described in the article on portion weight.
kcal and kJ
Energy value must be expressed in joules and calories or their multiples. On Russian packaging, this appears as “kJ / kcal.” In everyday usage, “calorie” refers to kilocalorie.
The conversion factor is specified directly in the regulation: 1 calorie equals 4.1868 joules (Annex 2), yielding a daily reference value of 2500 kcal = 10,467 kJ. Scientific literature and FAO documents use 4.184. The difference is about 0.07% and disappears in rounding on packaging. For practical purposes, “1 kcal ≈ 4.2 kJ” suffices: 100 kcal ≈ 420 kJ, and 1000 kJ ≈ 240 kcal.
If only kJ appear on the package, divide by 4.2. It’s best to rely on kcal, as dietary guidelines, food diaries, and apps use them.
How calories relate to proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
Calorie content on packaging isn’t re-measured for every batch. Instead, it’s calculated from nutrient grams using coefficients from Annex 4 of the regulation:
| Substance | kcal per 1 g | kJ per 1 g |
|---|---|---|
| Proteins | 4 | 17 |
| Carbohydrates | 4 | 17 |
| Fats | 9 | 37 |
| Dietary fiber | 2 | 8 |
| Sugar alcohols (except erythritol) | 2.4 | 10 |
| Erythritol | 0 | 0 |
| Organic acids | 3 | 13 |
| Ethanol | 7 | 29 |
The familiar 4 / 9 / 4 ratio originates from the Atwater system. According to the FAO 2003 document “Food energy — methods of analysis and conversion factors,” general Atwater coefficients are 17, 37, and 17 kJ per gram (4, 9, and 4 kcal) for proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, respectively—values also adopted by the Codex Alimentarius.
This allows a simple verification: protein × 4 + fat × 9 + carbohydrate × 4. For 10 g protein, 4 g fat, and 21 g carbohydrate, this yields 40 + 36 + 84 = 160 kcal. Exact agreement isn’t required. Discrepancies arise due to fiber and sugar alcohols being calculated with separate coefficients, rounding of values, and differing measurement methods. Why package and plate values differ is explained in the article on nutrition facts on packaging.
Carbohydrates and sugars
“Carbohydrates” under the regulation include digestible carbohydrates and sugar alcohols. Dietary fiber is excluded and listed separately if included at all. Thus, 20 g of “carbohydrates” on the label isn’t equivalent to 20 g in the product’s dry matter.
The line “of which sugars” isn’t part of the mandatory list in Article 4—only proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and energy value are required. Absence of this line doesn’t mean no sugars are present. They must be sought in the ingredients list, often under various names—as detailed in the article on hidden sugar. The regulation’s daily reference values are 65 g for sugar (sucrose) and 365 g for all digestible carbohydrates.
“Not more than” and “not less than”
Annex 5 of the regulation lists conditions allowing manufacturers to label products as “low,” “free,” or “source of.” All are defined by specific thresholds:
| Claim | Regulatory condition |
|---|---|
| Low energy value | no more than 40 kcal per 100 g (for liquids, no more than 20 kcal per 100 ml) |
| No sugars (“sugar-free”) | no more than 0.5 g per 100 g or 100 ml |
| Low sugar content | no more than 5 g per 100 g (no more than 2.5 g per 100 ml) |
| No fat (“fat-free”) | no more than 0.5 g per 100 g or 100 ml |
| Source of protein | protein provides at least 12% of energy (and at least 5% of daily requirement per 100 g) |
| High protein content | protein provides at least 20% of energy |
“Sugar-free” here means “no more than half a gram per 100 g,” not “zero.” The separate claim “no added sugar” means mono- and disaccharides weren’t added as ingredients, but natural sugars from milk or fruit may still be present—and the label must indicate this. Other claims are explained in the article on packaging claims.
Rounding and discrepancies with reality
The regulation permits rounding values (Annex 3). Energy values above 100 are rounded to the nearest 10; values from 5 to 100 are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates from 0.5 to 10 g are rounded to the nearest 0.5 g; above 10 g, to the nearest whole gram; below 0.5 g, shown with one decimal place. Thus, “0.5 g fat” and “1 g fat” on adjacent packages may describe nearly identical products.
The regulation doesn’t specify an allowable percentage deviation between label and actual composition. Sources of discrepancy are noted within the regulation itself: values are determined analytically or by calculation and represent averages.
For people with diabetes adjusting insulin doses based on carbohydrates, the nutrition table provides only initial data—it’s rounded and excludes fiber. Which figures to use is determined by the treating physician.
How to read the table step by step
- Find the “per 100 g” or “per 100 ml” column. If absent, check the serving size in grams and recalculate yourself.
- Confirm that figures refer to the product as sold. For dry mixes and grains, this means dry weight.
- Multiply the consumed weight in grams by the “per 100 g” value, then divide by 100.
- When comparing two products, use only the “per 100 g” columns.
- Look for sugar in the ingredients list—the “of which sugars” line may be missing. Read the full ingredients list; a short list doesn’t always mean a simple product, as explained in the article on “clean labels”.
What each letter in “macronutrients” (KBZHU) stands for and how daily requirements are calculated is covered in the article “What is KBZHU?”.
Frequently asked questions
- What to look at in the nutrition table: per 100 g or per serving?
- To compare products, use the column per 100 g or 100 ml. To calculate what you’ve eaten, multiply the serving weight in grams by the value per 100 g and divide by 100. The per-serving column is accurate only for the serving size stated by the manufacturer.
- Is the manufacturer required to list nutritional information per 100 g?
- According to Article 4 of TR CU 022/2011, values must be provided per 100 g or 100 ml and/or per serving, with the serving size clearly indicated. Thus, a table showing values only per serving is acceptable. Certain products are exempt from mandatory nutrition labeling, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, tea, spices, salt, and vinegar.
- How do you convert kJ to kcal?
- Divide by 4.2. The regulation defines 1 calorie as equal to 4.1868 joules, while FAO documents use 4.184. For practical purposes, the difference is negligible: 100 kcal equals approximately 420 kJ.
- Why don’t the amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates add up to the stated calories?
- Calorie content is calculated using coefficients of 4, 9, and 4 kcal per gram for protein, fat, and carbohydrates, respectively. Fiber (2 kcal/g), sugar alcohols (2.4 kcal/g), and organic acids (3 kcal/g) are accounted for separately. Additionally, values are rounded: energy above 100 kcal is rounded to the nearest ten, and nutrient weights are rounded to the nearest 0.5 or 1 g.
- What does “sugar-free” on packaging mean?
- According to Annex 5 of the regulation, this means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml—it doesn’t necessarily mean zero. The label “no added sugar” indicates that mono- and disaccharides were not added, but naturally occurring sugars may still be present.
Read next
- Calories and macros on the label: why the numbers don't match reality — The same buckwheat in three different apps gives three different calorie counts, and the package shows a fourth.
- How to determine portion size without a scale — Portion weight is the most inaccurate variable in any calculation, including analysis by photo.
- What is KBZHU — KBZHU represents four numbers that describe food: caloric content and the three macronutrients that make it up.
- Hidden sugar: under what names it appears in ingredients — The word "sugar" appears in ingredients less often than sugar itself does in a product: it has a dozen legal names, and the manufacturer has every right to use any of them.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.