Guidelines for the provision of data to the Norwegian Food Composition Table
The food industry can submit nutrient data to the Norwegian Food Composition Table if certain requirements are met. In these guidelines you will find an overview of what you need to keep in mind when submitting data.
Content on this page
- About the Norwegian Food Composition Table
- How can you submit data to the Norwegian Food Composition Table?
- Management of data provided by the food industry
About the Norwegian Food Composition Table
The table contains data on 50 nutrients in more than 2100 foods. An updated version of the Norwegian Food Composition Table is published annually. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority owns and operates the Food Composition Table.
Main sources of data:
• analyses of food products
• data provided by the food industry
• calculated data from recipes
• borrowed data from other countries' food composition tables
• data from other external sources
Who uses the data?
The table is used by consumers, the food industry, public administration, the education sector, the health and care sector and researchers. The data in the Norwegian Food Composition Table are also used in:
- the diet tool Kostholdsplanleggeren
- the national dietary surveys
- annually submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
The selection of foods
The selection of foods in the Norwegian Food Composition Table is based on the foods that are available on the Norwegian market. There are both raw foods, recipe-based foods and processed foods.
These food groups are not included:
- foods that have been on the market for less than a year
- foods that are not sold in grocery stores
- food for special medical purposes
Most foods are generic, but for some food groups we include product and/or manufacturer names in the food name. For example, if it is difficult to describe the food without a product name.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority's analytical surveys
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority annually carries out one or more projects to update the data in the Norwegian Food Composition Table. The foods included in the projects are based on consumption data, nutritional importance and the need for data. The analyses are carried out by accredited laboratories and follow international standards.
Producers/importers of food products analysed in the projects and/or trade associations will be informed before the analytical results are published. The information will be sent to the e-mail address provided on the company's website. The company is responsible for forwarding the information to the person responsible.
International requirements and standards
EuroFIR is a European food data network working to develop, publish and use food data. They promote international cooperation and harmonisation to improve accessibility and data quality.
The Norwegian Food Composition Table complies with EuroFIR's standards for quality assurance, procedures, classification and description of foods and nutrients. Read more about the standards: Quality and Standards of FCDBs » EuroFIR (eurofir.org)
How can you submit data to the Norwegian Food Composition Table?
Practical information about data delivery
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority can receive both analytical values and calculated values. If possible, we also want information about which nutrients are fortified.
Providing data is voluntary.
Data can be sent to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by e-mail: matvaretabellen@mattilsynet.no
The format for submitting data is optional, but you can use this template (ODS).
Deadline for submitting data
The deadline for submitting data to the next version of Matvaretabellen is 1. October.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will inform the food industry about the delivery of data in May/June.
The annual update of the Norwegian Food Composition Table will be published in January.
Requirements for the data submitted to the Norwegian Food Composition Table
We can receive both analytical values and calculated values, but you should specify which values have been analysed and which values have been calculated when you provide data.
We ask for information about which methods are used in calculation, estimation or analysis. For the analytical data, we need information about the sampling process. The sampling process must be representative. What constitutes a representative sample depends on seasonal variations, variation in ingredients, etc. It is up to the producents to assess the scope of sample sampling to ensure representative data.
We also want information about which nutrients are fortified.
Nutrients
This document gives an overview of the nutrients in the Norwegian Food Composition Table: the nutrients we need to receive values for, other nutrients in the table and nutrients we want to include in the table in the years to come. This applies both to new foods and to updating the foods that are currently included in the table.
We must have values for:
- protein
- starch
- sugars (sum)
- total fat
- sum saturated fatty acids, sum monounsaturated fatty acids, sum polyunsaturated fatty acids
- alcohol (for alcoholic beverages)
- dietary fibre
- salt/sodium
- vitamins/minerals that are particularly important for the food
We also want data for the rest of the nutrients, but that is not mandatory.
Our quality assurance of data
We evaluate the submitted data and provide feedback to you on what is included in the table prior to publication.
Management of data provided by the food industry
Generic and product/producer specific foods
From 2026, most of the foods in the Norwegian Food Composition Table will be generic, i.e. without a product or manufacturer name in the food name.
Generic food groups
- raw foods (flour and grains, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts and herbs)
- fish cold cuts, fish products
- meat cold cuts, meat products
- dinner dishes, ready-made dinners, other dinner products
- potato chips, snacks
- plant-based spreads and dinner products
- bread and bakery products
- desserts and ice cream
- infant food
The food name will be used to describe differences between generic foods, such as fat content, taste or other characteristics.
Food groups with both generic and product/producer specific foods
- dairy products
- beverages
- bereals
- crisp bread and biscuits
- gluten-free products
- food supplements
- sweet spreads
- chocolate, candy
- margarine, butter, oil
Foods may have product/producer-specific food names if
- it is difficult to describe the food without a product/producer name.
- there is a wide variation in nutrient content between similar foods.
Updating and deleting foods
A food composition table is usually updated once a year or less frequently. The Norwegian Food Composition Table is updated annually. The users of the table should know which version they are using; thus we will not update several times a year.
Foods are added or updated in the next version of the Norwegian Food Composition Table when new data of sufficient quality is available. We only delete foods if they are no longer on the market.
All the nutrient values have a reference that indicates their origin and when they were last updated.
Contact between the food industry and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority
Norwegian Food Safety Authorities’ work on the Food Composition Table must be independent.
We can have contact with the food industry about
- analysis projects of raw foods, due to the extent of possible variation in raw products.
- exchange of market share and other product information.
- development projects.
We cannot cooperate on
- composition of generic foods.
- ‘approval’ of estimated or analysed values.