Suitability of traditional energy values for novel foods and food ingredients

Some novel foods and ingredients provide significantly less energy than traditional fats and carbohydrates. The use of energy conversion factors existing in food labelling regulations to determine the labelling requirements of foods that contain them can mislead consumers. The requirement to use factors limits the claims that can be made for such foods, even scientifically justifiable ones, and in turn inhibits the development of new products and processes to the ultimate detriment of both manufacturer and consumer. Where the energy value of a food ingredient lies outside the range of the variability for the traditional food ingredient, the scientifically determined value provides a more accurate description of the food ingredient energy value for nutrition labelling. (C) 2000 ILSI Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.