Frequently Asked Questions

MenuSano is a nutrition analysis software designed to manage nutritional information efficiently for food service and manufacturing businesses. It eliminates costs associated with lab testing and consulting fees by allowing users to input ingredients, adjust quantities, and instantly view dietary breakdowns. The software also allows you to include allergen information, aids in regulatory compliance manually and generates detailed reports for informed decision-making. MenuSano is essential for businesses seeking to optimize operations, reduce expenses, and meet customer demands. Additional features: 

• • Accurate and compliant nutrition fact labels
  • USDA, CFIA, and FSA-compliant labels 
  • Recipe Cost Calculator
  • Manage Recipes: You can access your recipes from anywhere using any device.

No, you don’t need to send your food to a lab for nutrition analysis. Using MenuSano for nutritional analysis is a valid and effective alternative. MenuSano relies on government-regulated databases, such as the USDA’s FoodData Central and the CFIA, and follows FDA guidelines for accuracy and compliance. This ensures the software meets regulatory requirements, including FDA labelling standards for nutrition facts, rounding rules, and daily value calculations.

We do offer laboratory testing through our lab partners. Our services include nutrition testing, a nutrition facts table in PDF and EPS formats, and a review service for fact label format, ingredients, allergens, and dietary claims. Check out our Lab Analysis Service for more information.

MenuSano’s easy-to-use nutrition label generator streamlines the label creation process for your business. You can configure your recipe to calculate its nutrition by adding ingredients and adjusting quantities for large or small batches. Moreover, you can select from different label formats and add which nutrients are shown, as well as dietary labels, cautionary messages, and allergies. Below are the steps to creating your own nutrition facts label using MenuSano:  

• Ingredient Selection: Choose ingredients from MenuSano’s extensive database or add custom ingredients.
• Quantity Entry: Enter precise quantities for each ingredient in the recipe.
• Serving Size Setting: Define the serving size for accurate nutritional information.
• Yield Adjustment: Adjust recipe yields and scale as necessary.
• Rounding Rules: The system handles all rounding rules automatically to ensure accuracy.
• Saving Recipe: Save the completed recipe for future use.
• Label Customization: Select the country and label type required for compliance.
• Allergens and Dietary Labels: Specify allergens and dietary labels to be included on the label.
• Exporting Label: Save and export the label in JPG or PDF format for printing.
• Customization Options: Customize label styles, fonts, and colours within MenuSano’s compliant structure.
• Compliance Constraints: Labels beyond CFIA, USDA, and FSA compliance requirements cannot be modified.
• Printing: You can print the exported label yourself or send it to a printer for professional printing.

The key differences between the “Supplement Facts” panel and the “Nutrition Facts” panel are as follows:

• For dietary supplements, you must include dietary ingredients without RDIs or DRVs in the “Supplement Facts” panel, while these ingredients cannot be listed in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.
• The source of a dietary ingredient can be listed in the “Supplement Facts” panel for supplements, but it cannot be included in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.
• If a dietary ingredient is listed in the “Supplement Facts” panel, you are not required to state its source in the ingredients list for dietary supplements.
• The part of the plant from which a dietary ingredient is derived must be indicated in the “Supplement Facts” panel, whereas it cannot be mentioned in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.
• “Zero” amounts of nutrients cannot be listed in the “Supplement Facts” panel for supplements, but they must be listed in the “Nutrition Facts” panel for food.

You are required to include the names and quantities of dietary ingredients in your product, along with the “Serving Size” and “Servings Per Container.” However, the “Servings Per Container” is not necessary if it matches the net quantity of contents. For instance, if the net quantity is 100 tablets and the “Serving Size” is one tablet, the “Servings Per Container” would also be 100 tablets and doesn’t need to be listed separately.

All supplemented foods in Canada are required to include a Supplemented Food Facts table (SFFt), which is similar to the standard nutrition facts table. The SFFt features a distinct heading, “Supplemented Food Facts,” follows the same guidelines for listing core nutrients, and displays the total amount of each supplemental ingredient under the section titled “Supplemented with.”

Certain food categories are permitted to be supplemented, including bars, fruit drinks, and carbonated water-based beverages. However, foods that are not eligible for supplementation include infant foods, products aimed at children under four years of age, foods for pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, alcoholic beverages, special dietary foods, prepackaged unprocessed or minimally processed foods, and most fortified foods like milk and breakfast cereals. These items are excluded either because different regulations govern them or because there is a higher risk to vulnerable populations, such as young children. For more information on permitted supplemented food categories and the process for adding or modifying categories, please refer to the relevant guidance documents.

The new front-of-package (FOP) regulation in Canada, implemented by Health Canada, requires pre-packaged foods high in sodium, sugars, or saturated fats to display a clear FOP nutrition symbol on the front of their packaging. This regulation aims to help consumers quickly identify foods that contain high levels of these nutrients, supporting healthier food choices.

Your product will need an FOP label if it exceeds the following thresholds per serving:

• Sodium: 15% or more of the daily value (DV)
• Sugars: 15% or more of the DV
• Saturated Fats: 15% or more of the DV

For pre-packaged meals, the threshold is 30% or more of the DV for any of these nutrients. However, some products, such as raw single-ingredient meats (except ground meats) and certain dairy products, may be exempt from these requirements.

To determine whether your product requires FOP labelling, you can use MenuSano’s nutrition analysis software, which includes tools to assess compliance with the new regulation. For more information on the new FOP regulations, check out this article on our blog. 

The ingredient list is generated by compiling data from the recipe’s individual ingredients. Users can enter the ingredients manually, or the system provides automatic suggestions based on the recipe’s ingredients. The software also tracks each ingredient’s quantities and nutritional values, ensuring the list reflects accurate and up-to-date information. The process aims to streamline ingredient management for recipe creation, making creating an accurate list for menu planning or nutritional analysis easier.