Quantitative Ingredient Declaration (QUID) is the expression of the QUID value on occasion, it is necessary to outline the content (in percentage terms) of certain ingredients on the label. The percentage quantity should be displayed either beside the name of the food or in the list of ingredients. This rule is applicable when the ingredient is included in the name of the food- for example; ‘Julio’s Ham and Pineapple Pizza’ (35% ham, 20% pineapple), associated with the name of the food, shown on the label in either text, pictures or graphics, essential to the characterization of the food.
Exemptions in QUID
Quid declaration will not apply to constituents naturally present in foods which have not been added as an ingredient. Examples, caffeine in tea or vitamins and minerals in fruit juice.
Ingredients that are mentioned in the name of a food have not been used in its manufacture or preparation. For example: A) ‘Cream cracker’- a customary name used to describe a dry biscuit which never contains cream. B) ‘Chicken flavour crisps’- where the chicken flavour comes from one or more ingredients which are not chicken.
How to calculate the QUID percentage?
The weight of an ingredient to be quantified need to be divided by the total weight of all of the ongoing ingredients (except the weight of added water or volatile ingredients lost in processing).
Example for calculating QUID percentage
Example 1: Calculating the QUID value of the fish content in ‘fish finger’. The ingredients are Fish 70g, Batter 20g, Crumb 20g. Total weight before frying 110g, Frying oil taken up 7g.
Total mixing bowl 117g, water lost from batter during frying is -5g. Total ingredients 112g. QUID = Weight of fish divided by Total weight of ingredient x 100. That is 70/112 x 100 = 62.5%
QUID declaration for Foods which loose moisture
QUID declaration for Foods which loose moisture following heat or other treatments (e.g. cakes & pies) should be based on the amount of the ingoing ingredient expressed as a percentage of the weight of the final product. In such cases the calculation would lead to declarations exceeding 100%, the declaration should be replaced with statements giving the amount of the ingredients used to make 100 g/ml of the final product.
QUID declaration for concentrated or dehydrated foods
Foods sold in dehydrated form, which are intended to be reconstituted using water by the consumer before consumption manufacturers need to adopt a consistent approach to ensure mistakes do not occur.
QUID declarations must relate to the weight of the ingredient used at the mixing bowl stage, QUID must be expressed as a percentage of the weight of the finished product.