What is the Product Category?

Product category is classification assigned to any post to specify which product category a certain post is relevant to

The Product Category is used in Feeds and Searches to filter posts, it  is available by Industry, based on this selection, you may have different entries. 

Food and Feed Industry

The list of product categories for food and feed industry mostly covers the CODEX ALIMENTARIUS classification

 

Label

Description

Confectionery

Includes all cocoa and chocolate products, other confectionery products that may or may not contain cocoa, chewing gum, and decorations and icings, or foods produced solely with any combination of foods conforming to these sub-categories

Cereals and cereal products

derived from cereal grains, from roots and tubers, pulses, legumes and pith or soft core of palm tree

Bakery wares

Includes categories for bread and ordinary bakery wares and for sweet, salty and savoury fine bakery wares.

Meat and meat products, including poultry and game

This category includes all types of meat, poultry, and game products, in pieces and cuts or comminuted, fresh and processed

Fish and fish products

including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms

Eggs and egg products

Includes fresh in-shell eggs (10.1), products that may substitute for fresh eggs (10.2) and other egg products (10.3 and 10.4).

Sweeteners, including honey

Includes all standardized sugars (11.1), non-standardized products (e.g., 11.2, 11.3, 11.4 and 11.6), and natural sweeteners (11.5 – honey).

Salts, spices, soups, sauces, salads, protein products

This is a broad category that includes substances added to food to enhance its aroma and taste (12.1 – salt and salt substitutes; 12.2 – herbs, spices, seasonings and condiments (e.g., seasoning for instant noodles); 12.3 – vinegars; and 12.4 - mustards), certain prepared foods (12.5 – soups and broths; 12.6 – sauces and like products; and 12.7 – salads (e.g., macaroni salad, potato salad) and sandwich spreads, excluding cocoa- and nut-based spreads of food categories 04.2.2.5 and 05.1.3)), and products composed primarily of protein that are derived from soybeans or from other sources (e.g., milk, cereal, or vegetables) (12.9 - soybean-based seasonings and condiments; and 12.10 – protein products other than from soybeans).

Nutritional uses and specific diets

Foods for special dietary use are specially processed or formulated to satisfy particular dietary requirements that exist because of a particular physical or physiological condition and/or specific disease and disorder. The composition of these foods must differ significantly from the composition of ordinary foods of comparable nature, if such foods exist.

Dairy products and analogues

Includes all types of dairy products that are derived from the milk of any milking animal (e.g., cow, sheep, goat, buffalo). In this category, a “plain” product is one that is not flavoured, nor contains fruit, vegetables or other non-dairy ingredients, nor is mixed with other non-dairy ingredients, unless permitted by relevant standards. Analogues are products in which milk fat has been partially or wholly replaced by vegetable fats or oils.

Ready-to-eat savouries

Includes all types of savoury snack foods.

Prepared foods

These foods are not included in the other food categories (01-15) and should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Prepared foods are mixtures of multiple components (e.g., meat, sauce, grain, cheese, vegetables); the components are included in other food categories. Prepared foods require minimal preparation by the consumer (e.g., heating, thawing, rehydrating).

Generic foods and other products

Anything that relates to any kind of foods or feeds and any food that do not belong to any of the other food categories otherwise described.

Fats and oils, and fat emulsions

Includes all fat-based products that are derived from vegetable, animal or marine sources, or their mixtures.

Edible ices

This category includes water-based frozen desserts, confections and novelties, such as fruit sorbet, “Italian”-style ice, and flavoured ice. , including sherbet and sorbet

Fruits and vegetables

(including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds

Beverages

This major category is divided into the broad categories of non-alcoholic (14.1) and alcoholic (14.2) beverages. Dairy-based beverages are included in 01.1.2.

Pet Food

Anything relevant to Pet food

Livestock feed

Feed for animals other than pets

Tobacco

Despite Tobacco is not considered  properly a food, most regulations identify Tobacco as an agricultural commodity. 

Packaging

All related to materials that wrap, protect or contain goods. it also includes Food Contact Materials related substances.

 

Cosmetics and Personal Care

not available yet