How to compare a US Nutrition Facts label with an EU label

Pick the column that describes your food

The US Corn Flakes panel has a 42 g serving. Its dry cereal column lists 150 kcal and 4 g total sugars. The next column includes milk, so use the dry column when you weigh cereal on its own.

The French Corn Flakes panel lists 378 kcal and 8.0 g sugars per 100 g. It also has a 30 g column. Pick either basis and use its numbers and weight together. If the label prints energy in both kJ and kcal, use the kcal figure for your calorie entry.

Scale both panels to a 45 g bowl

Suppose you weigh out 45 g of dry cereal. Divide 45 by the weight at the top of the label column. Use that fraction to scale the calories and sugars.

The results are estimates from the two printed panels. Each panel describes its own product and market. For your portion, use the weight you measured and the label on your own box.

Read “dont sucres” as total sugars

The French phrase means “of which sugars.” It gives the sugars within the carbohydrate total. Sugar appears in the ingredient list, but the French panel gives no grams of added sugars. For the 45 g French example, enter 3.6 g total sugars and leave the added amount unknown.

On the US box, the label already includes the 4 g of added sugars in the 4 g of total sugars for 42 g. Use the total line once. See total and added sugars and the US Nutrition Facts guide for other label examples.

If you scan your box with Nourmio, compare the result with the market and portion printed on the package. You can enter the calories and total sugar yourself if the scan gives a different label.