Reading a Nutrition Panel: The Five Mandatory Items
Packaged foods in Japan must carry nutrition information. Only five items are required.
- Energy
- Protein
- Fat
- Carbohydrate
- Salt equivalent
The order is prescribed. Catechins, caffeine, vitamins, and minerals fall outside the requirement, so most labels omit them.
Check the reference amount
What the figures refer to varies:
- Per 100 g
- Per serving
- Per package
Reading a per-100-g figure as a single serving distorts everything. Powdered drinks typically use around 20 g per cup, so a per-100-g panel needs dividing by five.
Carbohydrate breakdown is optional
Carbohydrate is mandatory. Its components — sugar, dietary fiber, sugars — are not.
One rule applies: disclose either sugar or dietary fiber and you must disclose both. Listing only sugars as a subdivision of carbohydrate is permitted.
Hence the variation in how detailed different labels are.
Matcha is mostly fiber
Japan's composition tables put matcha at 39.5 g carbohydrate per 100 g, of which 38.5 g is dietary fiber.
So matcha itself shows a high carbohydrate figure while containing almost no sugar. High carbohydrate in a sweetened product reflects the added sugar.
Reading the carbohydrate line as a sugar figure misses this entirely.
Tolerances apply
Declared values carry permitted margins, and some are based on reasonable estimation rather than direct analysis of that batch.
For anything requiring precision, treat the label as a guide and contact the manufacturer if you need more.
