Robertson’s

October 6th, 2006

Dear Roberton’s,
I recently purchased a 454g jar of your Strawberry Jam, which is as delicious now as I remember it was as a child. I noticed that on the front of the label was a banner informing me that there was 63g of sugar per 100g of jam in Robertson’s Strawberry Jam. However, the nutritional information label on the reverse of the jar states a carbohydrate content of 61.1g per 100g jam. As all sugars are carbohydrates, how is it possible that there can be less carbohydrate per 100g than sugar?
I look forward to hearing from you soon and discovering where the missing 8.6g of carbohydrate per jar has gone.
Regards,
Frank Swain

Dear Mr Swain,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us with regards to your enquiry into Robertson’s Strawberry Jam. The 63g of sugar per 100g is higher than the carbohydrate figure due to the additional sugar that comes naturally from the fruit.

I hope this helps you understand the label a little better?

Kind Regards

Nick Sexton
Consumer Affairs Technologist

Oh dear. Nick clearly isn’t a chemist. And to think he was the best person they could find to answer my query. Ah well, leave it to me to explain as simply as I can.

Dear Nick Sexton,
Thank you for your expedient reply. However, I’m afraid I still do not understand the label of Robertson’s Strawberry Jam. All sugars are carbohydrates. Therefore the carbohydrate content cannot be less than the sugar content. Following this, the total carbohydrate given in the nutritional information must be the sum of the natural and added sugar in Robertson’s Strawberry Jam.

Added Sugar + Natural Sugar = Total Carbohydrates.

Assuming that the “sugar content” label refers to added sugar, the labelling on Robertson’s Strawberry Jam suggests (for 100g of jam):

63g + Natural Sugar = 61.1g

This obviously is wrong. Are you suggesting that the “sugar content” refers to the total sugar content, thus giving us:

63g – Natural Sugar = 61.1g

Your clarifications are much appreciated,
Yours Sincerely,
Frank Swain

Well, Nick didn’t reply for a while on this one, I guess he was too embarrassed after his confused email earlier. I wasn’t letting him off that easily though, and kept up the pressure. I did a bit of research into NI labelling, hoping to lure him into admitting Robertson’s had made a mistake (which he still hadn’t done).

Dear Nick Sexton,
Regarding my previous query about the sugar content of Robertson’s Strawberry Jam, can you tell me with any certainty which of the two figures is the more accurate? As I’m sure you’ll recall, the packaging on Robertson’s Strawberry Jam details the sugar content at 63g per 100g, whilst the nutritional information lists only 61.1g of carbohydrates per 100g. Are you any closer to a solution? It might help to discover how the nutritional information is calculated. European directive 90/496/EEC states that this can be average values based upon:
(a) the manufacturer’s analysis of the food;
(b) a calculation from the known or actual average values of the ingredients used;
(c) a calculation from generally established and accepted data.
Out of interest, which of these methods does Robertson’s subscribe to, and why?
Yours faithfully,
Frank Swain

Dear Mr Swain,

Thank you once again for taking the time to contact us, the most accurate figure is 63g per 100g. These figures are based on our manufacturers analysis which is carried out in the factory.
Many Thanks

Nick Sexton
Consumer Affairs Technologist

Crap! Nick’s told me the NI is wrong, and unfortunately for him that’s the legally binding statement. Unfortunately for me, however, is that I couldn’t find to what accuracy the NI is held to, so I can’t take it any further. For all I know 3% could be an allowable margin of error. I get the feeling Nick doesn’t like me much (he didn’t answer all my questions) but I don’t think there’s a benefit to science in pursuing this any further. We’ll call it a draw.

Entry Filed under: The Letters

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