Why Accurate QUID Calculations Matter

What is QUID?

QUID stands for Quantitative Ingredient Declaration. It's the requirement to declare the percentage of certain ingredients on your food labels. You've probably seen this on products—things like "Strawberry Jam (contains 45% strawberries)" or "Chicken Pie (26% chicken)".

When is QUID Required?

You must include QUID percentages when:

**The ingredient appears in the product name** - e.g., "Cheese and Onion Quiche" requires percentages for both cheese and onion

**The ingredient is emphasised on the label** - through words, pictures, or graphics

**The ingredient is essential to characterise the food** - it's what makes the product what it is

**The ingredient distinguishes the food from similar products** - like "butter shortbread" vs regular shortbread

How to Calculate QUID

QUID is calculated as a percentage of the ingredient at the time of use in the recipe, based on the total weight of all ingredients.

Example:

If you're making a strawberry smoothie with:

150g strawberries

200g yoghurt

50g banana

100ml milk (100g)

Total weight = 500g

Strawberry percentage = (150 ÷ 500) × 100 = 30%

Your label would show: "Strawberry Smoothie (30% strawberries)"

Common QUID Mistakes

1. Using the wrong weight basis

Always use the weight of ingredients at the point they're added to the recipe, not after cooking (unless there's no water loss).

2. Forgetting compound ingredients

If your "tomato sauce" is a separate recipe containing tomatoes, you may need to calculate through to the final tomato percentage.

3. Rounding incorrectly

QUID percentages should be rounded to the nearest whole number in most cases.

Why Accuracy Matters

Beyond legal compliance, accurate QUID declarations:

**Build customer trust** - consumers increasingly want transparency

**Prevent trading standards issues** - inaccurate declarations can lead to enforcement action

**Support allergy awareness** - helps customers understand exactly what's in their food

How Crumpet Simplifies QUID

Crumpet automatically calculates QUID percentages based on your recipe weights. As you build your recipe, we track ingredient quantities and calculate the correct percentages for your labels.

No spreadsheets. No manual calculations. Just accurate, compliant labels every time.