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How do I go about getting the nutritional content of my new product analyzed?

Question

I have just begun the process of test sampling a smoothie that I make out of pecans and dates (and water). I went to a local farmer's market a few weeks ago for the first time, and many people asked about the calorie count, fat content, and other nutritional facts of the product. It seemed a good idea to get a compositional analysis of the ingredients, but being new to this I was not sure how to do such a thing. (A.C.)

Answer

Yes, Dr. Linda Harris and I have 'Resource Guides' with commercial laboratory listings and information for the industry on our websites (see: http://www.fruitandvegetable.ucdavis.edu). Also, the FDA has a great deal of useful information on nutritional labeling on their website (see:  http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/default.htm).

–Diane Barrett