Labels · 3 min read

Lab result or database: when to test

A lab test costs money. Database values are free. Here is when each one is enough for your label.

Most recipes can be labelled from database values: you add up each ingredient by weight, allow for what cooking removes, and round. A lab test is worth it in three cases.

Test when

An ingredient has no reliable database value, such as a custom spice blend or a new protein.
Cooking changes the food a lot: roasting drives off water and concentrates sodium and sugar.
You make a claim, such as “low sodium” or “good source of protein”: a test protects you.

How close is close enough

When the FDA checks a label, nutrients you add must reach the label value, naturally occurring ones such as fiber and protein must reach at least 80% of it, and calories, sugars, total fat and sodium may not exceed 120% of it.

Simplified from 21 CFR 101.9(g).

What to do next

Start with the free recipe calculator
Test only the ingredient or product that needs it
Or let us decide, test where needed and trace every value

See a traced label →

Get clear before the expensive commitments

A 30-minute call tells you what you need next and what you would receive. The same four steps for every path, and you decide at the end of each one whether to go on.

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You tell us what you make and what you need. No slides. We say plainly if we are not the right fit.
Step 2Quick research
A short brief: who buys, what the rules say, where the price room is, and the sources behind each answer.
Step 3Plan and build
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Step 4Launch and measure
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