Fatty acids
The basic units of most lipids. A distinction is made between saturated, monosaturated and polysaturated fatty acids. Some polysaturated fatty acids are essential (linoleic acid and alpha-lionlenic acid) as they cannot be produced by our bodies and must be provided through our diet.

Saturated fatty acids
A fatty acid is said to be saturated when all the carbon atoms have been saturated with hydrogen, i.e. there is no double bond on the carbon chain.
In practical terms, the more saturated fatty acids a fat contains, the more the fat will tend to harden at room temperature.

Trans fatty acids
Trans fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids which contain at least a double bond in the trans configuration, unlike the cis configuration which is naturally the most common. These fatty acids are naturally present in dairy products and meats/fat of ruminants (e.g. cows, beef).).
Trans fatty acids may also be formed through hydrogenation during the transformation of vegetable oils or when oils are heated to a high temperature. This also allows fatty acids to go from a liquid state to a solid state. The artificial origin of trans fatty acids is predominant in the industrialized countries where the consumption of transformed food products is high.
Excessive consumption of trans fatty acids results in an increase of “bad” cholesterol and induces a decrease of “good” cholesterol. As a result, a high consumption of trans fatty acids is associated with a rise in cardio-vascular disease.

Claim
Any message or representation, non-mandatory by virtue of community or national legislation, including a representation in the form of images, graphic elements or symbols, whatever the shape, that states, suggests or implies that a food product has special characteristics.

Health claim
Any claim that states, suggests or implies the existence of a relationship between a category of food products, a food product or one of its basic elements and health.

Nutritional claim
Any claim that states, suggests or implies that a food product has special beneficial nutritional properties as a result of the energy (food energy) that it: (i) provides, (ii) provides to a lesser or greater extent or (iii) does not provide, and/or as a result of its nutriments or other substances that it: (i) contains, (ii) contains in lesser or greater proportion or (iii) does not contain.

Starch
Starch belongs to the family of carbohydrates. A complex carbohydrate i.e. composed of a long chain of glucose units. Starch is digested either slowly or fast and provides energy in the form of glucose.


Nutritional labeling
Any information present on the label relative to the number of calories and the following nutriments: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, dietary fibers, sodium, vitamins, mineral salts, etc.

Dietary fibers
Fibers belong to the family of carbohydrates, where they play a special role. They are only partially digested by the intestinal flora in our digestive tube. As a result, dietary fibers provide little energy unlike other carbohydrates. Plant cell walls are rich in fibers, thereby explaining why fruits, vegetables and cereals provide the bulk of our fiber intake.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate are above all a major provider of energy and are necessary for the life of a cell, especially for muscles, the brain, the heart and red blood cells (1 g of carbohydrates = 4 kcal). Among carbohydrates a distinction is made between complex carbohydrates (starch), simple sugars and dietary fibers.

Lipids
Lipids are composed of glycerol and fatty acids. They are the major elements of fats such as oils, margarines, butter, animal fats, etc. (1 g of lipids = 9 kcal).

Minerals
In small quantities, a necessary substance for our bodies. There are 2 classes of minerals: major minerals (sodium, chlorine, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium) and trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, etc.

Nutriments
Basic elements of food products (e.g. lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals). A distinction is made between macronutriments (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins) and micronutriments which have no energy value but which are vital to the human body (vitamins, minerals).

Panel
A panel is a permanent and representative sample of volunteer consumers, professionals or points of sale which regularly transmit data (either actively or passively) related to their respective behavior (purchases, sales, television programs watched, web sites visited, etc.) to the survey institute having established the panel. As a result of its periodical nature, a panel is able to highlight trends and changes.

Proteins
Proteins consist of amino acids. The order of amino acids is specific for each protein (1 g of proteins = 4 kcal). Proteins are elements which enable the production, growth and renewal of our bodies.

Simple sugars
Simple sugars belong to the family of carbohydrates. Their particularity is to be simple carbohydrates, i.e. small molecules with a sweet taste. Simple sugars are consumed on a daily basis, for example saccharose (store bought “sugar”), fructose (the sugar in fruits) and also glucose (present in fruits and also used as an ingredient). They provide energy which is very quickly available.

 

Sources

http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/fr/lvb/l21092.htm
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/fr/lvb/l21306.htm
www.mangerbouger.fr
www.definitions-marketing.com
www.afssa.fr
www.inra.fr