GIFSQ Tools · Module 19 — Nutrition, Labeling & Dietary Assessment · Tool 365 of 500
Sort an ingredient list into descending weight order, as the label requires, and check the weights add up.
Try sample values — fills the form with the worked example below.
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Ingredients
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Total (%)
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Largest ingredient (%)
Equation: Ingredients are listed in descending order of ingoing weight. Total (%) = sum of all ingredient percentages; the list is compliant only when the total is 100% or less and the order is descending.
Method: US FDA 21 CFR 101.4 (descending order of predominance by weight); EU Regulation 1169/2011 Article 20; Health Canada Food and Drug Regulations B.01.008. Compound ingredients are broken down into their components unless the exception applies.
Assumptions: percentages are ingoing weights at the mixing stage; water added during processing is counted as an ingredient when it remains in the finished product.
Limitations: this tool orders by the percentages you enter — it cannot verify the true formulation; flavourings and additives under 2% may be listed in any order in some jurisdictions.
Rounding: percentages to 1 decimal place; intermediates unrounded.
This is a calculation aid, not a laboratory report — confirm against your accredited method before citing a value.
Method: US FDA 21 CFR 101.4 (descending order of predominance by weight); EU Regulation 1169/2011 Article 20; Health Canada Food and Drug Regulations B.01.008. Compound ingredients are broken down into their components unless the exception applies.
Assumptions: percentages are ingoing weights at the mixing stage; water added during processing is counted as an ingredient when it remains in the finished product.
Limitations: this tool orders by the percentages you enter — it cannot verify the true formulation; flavourings and additives under 2% may be listed in any order in some jurisdictions.
Rounding: percentages to 1 decimal place; intermediates unrounded.
This is a calculation aid, not a laboratory report — confirm against your accredited method before citing a value.
Worked example: Flour 50%, sugar 30%, salt 2% entered out of order: the tool returns Flour (50%), Sugar (30%), Salt (2%), total 82.0% — the remaining 18% must be accounted for (for example water) before the list is complete.
Enter values above to see results.
Percentages must total 100% (or 100% minus declared water loss) — a total over 100% is impossible. Tool 365 of 500 — GIFSQ
