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LabelCalc® Supplies Total Business Solution to Energy Club

Since 1984, Pacoima, California-based Energy Club Inc. has been the acknowledged leader of the snack food industry, offering an extensive array of premium products encased in innovative packaging. The company has earned unconditional respect throughout the industry for its initiative in supporting its high-quality, value-driven snacks and novelties with unparalleled customer service. Energy Club manufactures a comprehensive line of healthy nuts, trail mixes, candy and novelties. All products are 100% guaranteed for freshness and quality.

Situation

All food manufacturers are obliged by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prepare accurate nutrition labels for their products. Additionally, the FDA recently took action to increase public awareness of trans fat due to its detrimental health implications, mandating that it be clearly identified on all nutrition facts panels by January 1, 2006. Foods containing trans fat, which research now attributes to heart disease and increased low density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol, are made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils such as vegetable shortening or margarine. The FDA decision requires that food products be analyzed for trans fat content, and their panels accordingly revised to display trans fat below saturated fat. Energy Club’s marketing project manager Lisa Miehl knew she needed expert assistance to obey the new ruling and help the company’s customers make heart-healthy food choices. She relied on LabelCalc®, the only online nutrition analysis tool that instantly generates precise, up-to-date FDA-compliant nutrition facts panels. LabelCalc also offers dedicated consultancy services, skillfully guiding clients through the complex arena of regulation issues.

LabelCalc Supplies Product and Services Solution

LabelCalc president Lucy Needham ensured that accurate trans fat data was in the appropriate place on Energy Club’s facts panels, and that all nutrition information was correct. She noted that due to its Latin origin, the word “trans” may or may not be italicized – which is an exception to the rule stating that a single, easy-to-read font shall be used throughout the nutrition label. Also, trans fat may only be listed by a gram amount, since the FDA has not been able to establish a % “Daily Value” for it. Furthermore, she advised the company regarding the ideal way to modify the “Servings per Container” figure on its Roasted Salted Cashews package, which recently decreased in weight. Needham recommended using a precise figure such as “About 1 Serving” in place of a vague one such as “Varied 1-2 Servings.” Her guidance helped underscore Energy Club’s commitment to providing its health-conscious customers with clear dietary information, stated Miehl.

“We are very comfortable working with LabelCalc – both with the program and the people,” said Miehl. “LabelCalc’s customer service is exceptional in the food industry – Lucy quickly answers all our questions and even confirms details with the FDA on our behalf, so we can move ahead with confidence. She’s saved us lots of time, money and major headaches, especially since consultants often charge as much as $500 per answer for specialized questions.”

“At LabelCalc, we pride ourselves on offering the most knowledgeable and focused customer service in the industry,” stated Needham. “We constantly educate and advise clients regarding compliance regulations, current industry issues and developing food trends.”

Ease-Of-Use, Cost-Savings and Flexibility

Previously, in order to generate nutrition panels, manufacturers were dependent upon complex, expensive and time-consuming options such as laboratories, CDs and third-party consultants. However, LabelCalc is uncomplicated and does not require new computer software and set-up procedures, specialized training or manuals. Customers enjoy 24-hour access to an online nutrition calculator and FDA facts panel design module.

“LabelCalc is very fast, accurate and easy to use,” said Miehl. “It’s a huge improvement over our previous Excel spreadsheet, which was extremely complicated and time-consuming. The LabelCalc system tells us exactly what information we need to include, so we are confident of not overlooking anything essential. Plus, it helps identify and fix errors, potentially saving us a great deal of expense and trouble down the road.”

Miehl also appreciates one of LabelCalc’s most innovative features – the ability to instantly download and email facts panels. “Previously, when customers or distributors requested confirmation of our nutritional data, it took us a long time to locate a package, then scan it and fax the results,” she said.”Now, we are much more responsive to our clients’ needs since LabelCalc enables us to email the information in seconds.”

More about LabelCalc

LabelCalc is one of two nutrition analysis applications developed by FoodCalc® LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2003, FoodCalc creates unique online applications for food manufacturers, restaurants, dieticians and chefs. For more information, visit www.LabelCalc.com, email info@LabelCalc.com or call (888) 804-0001.

Customer: Energy Club, Pacoima, CA

The Challenge: Offer Energy Club an efficient, flexible solution for nutrition analysis, with cutting-edge customer service and support.

Executive Summary: Energy Club found the process of generating nutrition labels through an Excel spreadsheet complicated, time-consuming and potentially inaccurate. Plus, the company required skilled assistance revising facts panels to reflect both the new FDA ruling on trans fats as well as changes in package weight. Upon utilizing LabelCalc’s services, Energy Club significantly improved efficiency and ease-of-use with respect to nutrition analysis. LabelCalc also successfully ensured the accuracy and correct placement of all general nutrition and trans fat data on Energy Club’s facts panels. Furthermore, LabelCalc is an expert resource for all Energy Club’s queries regarding industry regulations, issues and trends.

LabelCalc Features:

  • Online nutrition analysis tool designed to service small-to-medium sized food manufacturers.
  • Clients establish secure user accounts where they can create FDA-compliant food labels and store recipes.
  • Clients can conveniently access their accounts and generate labels from any online computer.
  • Entire process takes about 25 minutes and includes five easy steps – entering ingredients, entering serving size, selecting voluntary nutrient values, selecting a nutrient facts panel, and determining claims and allergens.

Resources:

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Interested in learning more about how LabelCalc works? Check out our video demos to see the label creation process using our software, or visit our product features page to learn even more about what makes LabelCalc unique.
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