% Daily Intake: What's Does This Actually Mean?

Health and wellness is a major consumer issue around the world.

Kraft, as part of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), have worked with other key food companies to develop a co-ordinated nutrition and health strategy which includes a commitment to improving the nutrition information provided to consumers. By encouraging the wider provision of nutrition information in a consistent manner we can make an important contribution to helping people make informed dietary choices. 

What is the Nutrition Labelling Scheme?

Kraft has committed to include a graphic device representing % Daily Intake (%DI) information for energy (kJ) on the front of all their packs over the next two years.  This provides the consumer with at-a-glance information on energy per serve of the product and its contribution to their diet.

In addition to this, Kraft will expand their current nutrition panels to include the %DI for all the listed nutrients i.e. protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium.

How do I calculate %DI?

This is a simple calculation based on recommended intakes as outlined in Australian Food Regulations. These are based on the intake for an average adult, your daily intake may be higher or lower depending upon your energy needs.  The %DI is a calculation of the amount of the nutrient in a single serve divided by the reference value.

For example if the energy for a serve of product is 870kJ, this represents 10% of your recommended DI.  The balance (90% can come from other food and drinks you consume during that day.

For more answers click here for the official Q&A from the Australian Food & Grocery Council.