GDA label
What is GDA?
Guideline Daily Amounts indicate the recommended amount of nutrients to be consumed per day. These guidelines should provide a clear overview of the nutritional value of your food and help you make informed choices when planning your diet.
The guidelines provide a quick overview of:
• portion sizes
• calories per portion
• the amount of sugar, fat, saturated fatty acids and sodium per portion
• GDA values for daily consumption. The percentage indicates how much of the recommended daily amount is included in one portion.
GDA values aim for a daily consumption of 2000 kcal in total, which is the amount on average that an adult female requires. These guidelines may vary depending on your gender, age, lifestyle, activity levels and state of health, among other factors.
Individual info:
Calories
The energy content in foods is measured in kilocalories (kcal). Our bodies gain energy by "burning" carbohydrates, fat and protein. Another unit of measurement is the kilojoule: 1 kcal = 4.2 kJ.
Sugar
The GDA for sugar is 90 g.
Fat
A maximum of 30% of the energy gained per day should be consumed as fat, making the GDA for fat a total of 70 g.
Saturated fatty acids
Unsaturated fatty acids have a positive effect on cholesterol levels. However, consuming an excessive amount of saturated fatty acids can lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. For this reason, no more than 10% of the energy gained per day should be consumed as saturated fatty acids. The GDA for saturated fatty acids is 20 g.
Sodium
Sodium is often present in foods as salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl). Experts recommend a maximum intake of 2.4 g of sodium per day, which translates to 6 g of salt. The salt content in food can be calculated using the following formula:
Sodium (in g/100 g or ml) x 2.5 = salt (in g/100 g or ml)
