Eurocode categories: Main Group 12: Miscellaneous, soups, sauces, snacks and products

Core Classification version 99/2

Categories discussion and documentation

Main Group 12: Miscellaneous, soups, sauces, snacks and products

Category definitions and policies

Group 12 classification

12.xx

Food group for mixed food products

In version 93/1, the Miscellaneous foods group included subgroups for Soups, Sauces and Savoury snacks which were sub-divided on the basis of the main ingredient, for example Sauces, vegetable base. The newer subgroups Prepared salads and Sandwich spreads are subdivided on a similar basis, and possibly a category or subgroups for Dips should be treated in the same way. Rather than enumerate the possibilities for each subgroup, it might be better to use standard codes analogous to the milk source species codes, for example 12.50.33 for Chicken soup. The proposed standard codes are:

Code Basic ingredient Example

.10 Milk product-based 12.50.10 Camembert cream soup

.11 Milk-based

.12 Cream-based 12.44.12 Curried cream sauce

.13 Yogurt-based 12.40.13 Korma dip

.14 Cheese-based 12.65.14 Prepared cheese coleslaw salad

.20 Egg-based 12.60.20 Egg mayonnaise sandwich filling

.22 Water-based

.24 Vinegar-based

.26 Alcoholic beverage-based 12.48.26 Brandy sauce

.27 Non-alcoholic beverage-based

.30 Meat-based

.33 Poultry-based 12.60.33 Chicken tikka sandwich filling

.34 Offal-based 12.50.34 Oxtail soup

.40 Fish-based 12.60.40 Tuna and sweetcorn sandwich filling

.43 Crustacean-based 12.60.43 Prawn mayonnaise sandwich filling

.44 Mollusc-based

.50 Fat/oil-based

.51 Butter-based 12.44.51 Lemon butter sauce

.54 Animal fat-based

.55 Vegetable oil-based 12.44.55 Pesto

.60 Grain-based

.61 Flour/starch-based

.62 Rice-based 12.50.62 Rice soup

.63 Pasta-based 12.65.63 Prepared pasta salad

.70 Pulse/nut-based

.71 Pulse-based 12.50.71 Lentil soup

.72 Peanut-based

.73 Seed-based 12.40.74 Mustard and honey dip

.74 Nut-based

.77 Fruit-based

.80 Vegetable-based 12.50.80 Minestrone

.81 Leaf vegetable-based

.82 Stalk/shoot vegetable-based 12.40.82 Onion and garlic dip

.83 Root vegetable-based

.84 Tuber vegetable-based 12.55.84
12.65.84 Prepared potato salad
Potato crisps

.85 Fruit vegetable-based 12.50.85 Pumpkin soup

.86 Pod/seed vegetable-based

.87 Fungi-based

.90 Sugar-based 12.48.90 Butterscotch sauce

.91 Honey-based

.93 Chocolate-based 12.48.93 Chocolate sauce

The approach would allow detailed information to be recorded for products in the Miscellaneous foods group (or any future Mixed dishes group) without separating similar foods by classifying them in the main group of the predominant ingredient. It might also allow subgroups to be added for further miscellaneous products without expanding the hierarchical listing excessively since the further categorisation need not be specified for each subgroup separately.
The following points need to be considered:

Are there any additional standard categories needed?
The use of .8n and .9n codes violates the special status reserved for these codes, but it may be better to use them than to limit the number available further.
The use of standard codes provides additional options for retrieval. For example a search on the wild-card code 12.**.33 would give all poultry-based products. Some conflict arises from codes from subgroups not conforming to the structure, e.g. 12.10.30 Baking powder is not a meat product.
The points in the previous two items could be resolved by using a reserved code as an escape to a standard code with a specific meaning. Thus .81 could flag a (milk) species code and .82 a product ingredient code. Thus .81.50 would always indicate a product from Reindeer and .82.85 a Fruit vegetable-based product.

9 February 2000

Return: | Discussion | Dips | Sauces | Soups | Salads | Fillings | Snacks |

12.34.1x

Salad dressing

Salad dressing is a vinegar and oil based cold sauce. Salad dressings are currently subdivided on fat or oil content

As an alternative to subdividing by fat content, different types of dressing might form different categories. In a similar way to the suggestion for alcoholic content, possibly the oil content for dressings and mayonnaise should be recorded through a descriptor.

2 August 1999

12.34.2x

Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is an egg and oil based cold sauce. As is the case for salad dressing, it is currently subdivided on fat or oil content.

12.38

Chutney and pickles: Chutneys are sweet-tasting, spicy mixtures of fruit or vegetables, fresh or cooked in a thick sauce. Pickles are fruit or vegetables preserved in brine, vinegar, etc. A Relish is a thin pickle or sauce with a vinegar base.

12.40

Dips

Dips may be defined as dressings or sauces into which food is dipped before eating.

A dip may be considered a dressing (12.34) or a sauce (12.44; 12.48) but serves a distinct role. Retailed dips are named as such and dips probably can have a wider range of main ingredients than dressings. It is proposed to consider Dips a separate category, rather than using the combined category Dressings and dips that was used in version 99/1. Any comments?

10 February 2000

12.44

Savoury sauces

Sauces are accompaniments to a dish although this definition can be arbitrary, for example for sauces such as bolognese sauce accompanying pasta which might be considered a main part of the dish, Spaghetti bolognese. The earlier subgroups can be considered true sauces, defined by the constituents forming the sauce substrate, with further categories for other types of sauces based on their major ingredient. As a common basis for sauces, tomato is assigned its own subgroup, with all other vegetable products (including grains, pulses and fruits) assigned to the Vegetable-based sauce category.

Ready-to-use cooking sauces are included as a separate category. This should be used in preference to the specific type of sauce (which may be assigned as sub-categories at the next lower level of the hierarchy). Sauces prepared with the dish should be coded at the first relevant category.

The categorisation and policies for Sauces are proposed as an alternative to those in version 93/1 which may be considered less clear. All comments on which approach is preferred and alternative suggestions for improving the coding of Sauces would be much appreciated. See also the Sauces discussion point in the Group 12 policy documentation.

2 August 1999

12.44

White and brown sauces

Classic French sauces are based on the making of a roux by combining butter and flour over heat. There are three types, white roux, pale roux, and brown roux, depending on the amount of heating.

White roux is heated insufficiently to change the colour. It is used in basic white sauces such as Bechamel sauce that are used in producing a wide range of white sauces.
Pale roux is heated until the colour begins to change. It is used in veloutés which are white sauces usually enriched with cream and egg yolks.
Brown roux is heated sufficiently to change the colour to light brown. It is used in basic brown sauces such as Sauce espagnole that are used in producing a wide range of brown sauces.

12.50

Soups

The Soups sub-categories are based on the major ingredient, excluding water, of the soup. With one exception, assignments to the subdivisions exactly match assignments to the Main Groups, for example because Rhurbarb appears in the Vegetables group, soups made from it appear in the Vegetable / herb soup category rather than the Fruit soup category. The exception is that herbs soups are included with the vegetable soups.

Alternatively soups could be categorised according to their type, for example subgrouped into:

Consommé
Broth
Thickened soup
Purée
Creamed soup, including Bisques
Main-course soup, including Chowders

2 August 1999

See also proposal for standard main-ingredient codes.

9 February 2000

12.55

Prepared salads

Prepared salads are included as a Miscellaneous foods subgroup for the coding of salad dishes that are made up either for retail purchase or separately from the direct preparation of a meal. The sub-categories are based on the main constituent food and include the word 'Prepared' to distinguish them from salad dishes which would be placed in the main group of the major ingredient. If the mayonnaise content of a prepared salad is above 50%, it is classified as Prepared mayonnaise salad.

Prepared salads available for purchase include (at least) two distinct types:

Snack meals of a salad often placed on a distinct basic constituent such as lettuce, pasta or rice. These may be intended as low fat products.
Individual salad products intended to be consumed as one or more accompaniments to a meal of, for example, cold meats. Mayonnaise may be a significant ingredient in some prepared salads of this type.
The Prepared salads subgroup has been added to provide a simple way of coding a distinct product type without having to use a recipe (which may not be known for retail items). Are there any comments of whether this is likely to be useful and whether better categories might be defined?

2 August 1999

The above scope note has been reworded to give a better differentiation between the definition of Prepared salads and a salad dish which would be classified in the main group of the major ingredient. Any suggestions for an improved clarification of this point would be welcome.

9 February 2000

Documentation updated:		10 February 2000
Discussion updated:		10 February 2000

Ian Unwin