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GDAs Explained

As nutritional requirements vary depending on age, weight, height, gender and the level of physical activity, GDAs are not targets for individuals but guideline values which have been set for a healthy person of average weight, having an average level of activity.

Energy requirements, for example, differ between 1500 to 2000 Calories per day for children, 2200 to 2700 Calories per day for men and 1800 to 2200 Calories per day for women. Where GDAs are used in food labelling, the general adult values are taken as those for women as they approximate best to the needs of the majority of the population.

The GDA label can appear in different formats, though it is usually displayed as either one icon or five icons on the front of packages, depending on label and product size.  GDAs can also appear in table format on the back of packages.  All three of these examples of GDA labels are shown below.

Front-of-Pack GDA Labels

A “Front-of-Pack” FOP label, such as the one below, shows the energy (i.e. calories) provided by a portion of the product, as well as what percentage of an adult’s energy needs is provided by one portion.

The CIAA labelling  scheme leaves companies  free to list more than energy content on the front of packaging if they so choose, and if label and product size allow.

Some companies have chosen to list all five figures on the front-of-pack label while others have chosen to show these on the back-of-pack.

Back-of-Pack GDA Labels

Back-of-Pack (BOP) labels provide nutrition information per portion for a more detailed list of nutritional contents (at a minimum: energy, sugar, fat, saturated fat, and sodium/salt).  A back-of-pack label might also look like this:

A 250 ml portion provides

of an adult´s guideline daily amount*

* The nutritional needs of individuals may be higher or lower,
based on gender, age, level of physical activity and other factors.

GDA Label

The GDA label shows the number of calories and grams of sugars, fat, saturates (saturated fat) and salt per portion of food, and expresses these quantities as a percentage of your Guideline Daily Amount.

Usually labels contain five icons, which are for calories, sugars, fat, saturates (saturated fat) and salt – always appearing in the same order.

The GDA label allows you to check, compare and choose between food or drink products.

• Check the food label and what it contains.
• Compare foods with other similar products.
• Choose the foods that best suit your needs.

If you want to know more about how to use the GDA label and how this can help you to make a healthier choice click here.