Here we detail the specific gravities of a selection of beverages and other liquid foods.
Specific gravity and ingredients
If you have a liquid ingredient, the specific gravity value is used to convert the volume of this liquid ingredient to a gram weight. The NPC does this automatically by multiplying the volume (in mL) by the specific gravity of the liquid ingredient. It needs to do this to calculate a nutrition information panel correctly.
Specific gravity and the nutrition information panel
Paragraph 5(1)(b) of Standard 1.2.8 requires that the average quantity of a beverage or other liquid food in a serving must be expressed in millilitres in your nutrition information panel. A specific gravity value is required to convert the nutrient values present in a 100 g portion of a liquid food to 100 mL, for inclusion on your nutrition information panel.
About specific gravities
The specific gravity can vary for a number of reasons. Generally, the specific gravity increases with the amount of solids (e.g. sugars) and decreases with the amount of alcohol and fat present in a liquid, or air present in a whipped ingredient. It can also vary with the temperature of the ingredient. It may be influenced by the packing of the food in the measuring vessel.
About the specific gravities listed here
The specific gravities provided here have been derived from several recognised literature sources and are exactly the same as those provided in the NPC. These values are indicative only, and are provided solely as a guide. It is better to calculate your own. The Explanatory Notes below tell you how.
| Food name | Specific gravity |
|---|---|
| Alcoholic soda | 1.04 |
| Almond milk, with linseed oil and water | 0.99 |
| Beer | 1.01 |
| Beer, carbohydrate-modified | 1 |
| Beverage, alcoholic bitters | 0.94 |
| Beverage, from flavoured beverage base, with water | 1.02 |
| Beverage, sports supplement, chocolate flavour, purchased ready to drink | 1.06 |
| Brandy | 0.96 |
| Buttermilk, cultured | 1.04 |
| Cereal beverage (coffee substitute), from powder, without milk | 1.01 |
| Cider, apple | 1.01 |
| Cider, white (greater than 6% v/v alcohol) | 1.02 |
| Coconut, cream | 1.01 |
| Coconut, milk | 1.01 |
| Coconut, water or juice | 1.01 |
| Coffee and chicory essence, concentrate | 1.28 |
| Coffee, from ground coffee beans | 1.01 |
| Coffee, from ground coffee beans, Turkish style, without milk | 1.07 |
| Coffee, from instant coffee powder, without milk | 1 |
| Cordial base, various | 1.22 |
| Cordial base, intense sweetened | 1.05 |
| Cream, imitation or mock (non-dairy) | 1.01 |
| Cream, regular, thickened or rich | 1.01 |
| Cream, sour | 1.01 |
| Cream, sour, light or extra light | 1.02 |
| Cream, whipped | 0.51 |
| Cream, whipped, aerosol | 0.25 |
| Dressing, caesar | 1.05 |
| Dressing, coleslaw, (fat less than 10% ), intense sweetened | 1.07 |
| Dressing, coleslaw, reduced fat | 1.07 |
| Dressing, coleslaw, regular | 1.06 |
| Dressing, French or Italian, no added fat | 1.11 |
| Dressing, French or Italian, reduced fat | 1.11 |
| Dressing, French or Italian, regular | 1.03 |
| Dressing, thousand island, reduced fat | 1.03 |
| Dressing, thousand island, regular | 1.06 |
| Drink, fruit flavoured, from powdered drink base | 1.05 |
| Drink, probiotic, contains milk solids and sugar | 1.06 |
| Drink, probiotic, contains milk solids and sugar, reduced sugar, light style | 1.04 |
| Fruit drink concentrate, lemon or orange | 1.22 |
| Fruit drink, blackcurrant or cranberry juice, intense sweetened | 1 |
| Fruit drink, from dry base, recommended dilution | 1.05 |
| Fruit drinks, various, recommended dilution | 1.04 |
| Fruit, fruit salad or pineapple, canned in heavy syrup, syrup only | 1.15 |
| Fruit, fruit salad or pineapple, canned in pineapple juice, juice only | 1.05 |
| Fruit, various, canned in intense sweetened liquid, liquid only | 1 |
| Fruit, various, canned in light syrup, syrup only | 1.1 |
| Fruit, various, canned in pear juice, juice only | 1.05 |
| Fruit, various, canned in regular syrup, syrup only | 1.13 |
| Gelato, commercial, various flavours | 1.34 |
| Gin | 0.95 |
| Glucose, liquid or syrup | 1.39 |
| Gravy, commercial, prepared | 1.01 |
| Honey | 1.43 |
| Horseradish cream, commercial | 1.06 |
| Ice confection, tofu-based, vanilla flavour | 1.04 |
| Ice cream, reduced or low fat | 0.55 |
| Ice cream, regular fat | 0.56 |
| Ice cream, rich (fat greater than 12.5%) | 0.63 |
| Intense sweetener, liquid | 1 |
| Juice concentrate, apple or orange | 1.2 |
| Juice, apple or grape, sparkling | 1.05 |
| Juice, apple, super concentrate, used in cooking | 1.22 |
| Juice, apple, thickened | 1.04 |
| Juice, from concentrate, diluted 1:1 | 1.11 |
| Juice, from concentrate, diluted weaker than 1:3 | 1.17 |
| Juice, fruit or vegetable, various | 1.05 |
| Liqueur, advocaat | 1.09 |
| Liqueur, clear | 1.17 |
| Liqueur, cream-based | 1.06 |
| Malt extract | 1.62 |
| Mayonnaise, low fat | 1.08 |
| Mayonnaise, reduced fat | 1.05 |
| Mayonnaise, regular fat | 0.99 |
| Milk, canned, evaporated, regular or reduced fat | 1.07 |
| Milk, canned, evaporated, skim (fat less than 0.5%) | 1.08 |
| Milk, canned, sweetened, condensed | 1.29 |
| Milk, cow, fluid, reduced fat or skim | 1.04 |
| Milk, cow, sheep or goat, fluid, extra creamy or regular fat | 1.03 |
| Milk, oat, fluid | 1.03 |
| Milk, rice, fluid, calcium and protein enriched | 1.06 |
| Mustard, cream-style, condiment | 1.17 |
| Mustard, made with dry powder, with added water | 1.17 |
| Oil, blend of vegetable oils | 0.92 |
| Oil, olive, pure | 0.91 |
| Oil, peanut | 0.91 |
| Oil, various (not including olive or peanut oil) | 0.92 |
| Ouzo | 0.96 |
| Paste, curry, Indian style, commercial | 1.4 |
| Paste, shrimp, Asian style | 1.22 |
| Port (fortified wine) | 1.04 |
| Rum | 0.96 |
| Saki, rice wine | 0.98 |
| Sauce, apple | 1.08 |
| Sauce, Asian, for stir fry | 1.01 |
| Sauce, barbecue | 1.13 |
| Sauce, black bean, Asian | 1.29 |
| Sauce, chilli, Asian | 1.04 |
| Sauce, cranberry | 1.17 |
| Sauce, curry, Asian | 1.08 |
| Sauce, fish, Asian | 1.22 |
| Sauce, hoi sin, Asian | 1.08 |
| Sauce, horseradish | 1.17 |
| Sauce, mint | 1.05 |
| Sauce, mustard | 1.17 |
| Sauce, orange, savoury | 1.07 |
| Sauce, oyster, Asian | 1.22 |
| Sauce, pasta, cream-based | 1.06 |
| Sauce, pasta, tomato-based, heated | 1.1 |
| Sauce, plum, Asian | 1.29 |
| Sauce, satay, Asian | 1.07 |
| Sauce, seafood, cocktail | 1.25 |
| Sauce, soy | 1.05 |
| Sauce, sweet and sour, Asian | 1.12 |
| Sauce, tabasco | 1.04 |
| Sauce, taco style | 1.04 |
| Sauce, tomato | 1.04 |
| Sauce, wasabi (horseradish) | 1.17 |
| Sauce, worcestershire | 1.22 |
| Sherry (fortified wine), dry (sugars content approximately 1%) | 0.99 |
| Sherry (fortified wine), sweet (sugars content approximately 11%) | 1.03 |
| Soft drink, energy drink | 1.07 |
| Soft drink, tonic water | 1.03 |
| Soft drink, various, intense sweetened | 1 |
| Soft drink, various, sugar sweetened | 1.04 |
| Soups, various, condensed, canned | 1.09 |
| Soy beverage | 1.04 |
| Soy yoghurt | 1.04 |
| Sports drink, all flavours | 1.04 |
| Stock, beef, chicken, fish or vegetable, liquid | 1.02 |
| Syrup, corn, light or dark | 1.39 |
| Syrup, golden | 1.34 |
| Syrup, grenadine | 1.2 |
| Syrup, malted rice | 1.39 |
| Syrup, maple, pure | 1.33 |
| Syrup, molasses | 1.39 |
| Syrup, pancake, maple-flavoured | 1.35 |
| Syrup, sugar & water (sugars content approximately 46%) | 1.2 |
| Syrup, treacle | 1.33 |
| Tea, without milk | 1 |
| Tomato paste | 1.11 |
| Toppings, various | 1.44 |
| Vanilla extract | 0.87 |
| Vinegar | 1.01 |
| Vodka | 0.96 |
| Water | 1 |
| Water, carbonated or soda | 1 |
| Water, mineral, flavoured, intense sweetened | 1 |
| Water, mineral, flavoured, sweetened | 1.04 |
| Water, mineral, natural, unflavoured | 1 |
| Water, non-sparkling, added sugar and flavour | 1.04 |
| Water, sports type | 1 |
| Whisky | 0.95 |
| Wine and fruit juice blend (wine cooler), all flavours | 1.03 |
| Wine, fortified, dry | 1.01 |
| Wine, green ginger | 1.05 |
| Wine, red | 0.99 |
| Wine, red or white, reduced alcohol | 1 |
| Wine, red or white, sparkling | 1 |
| Wine, red, cooked | 1.01 |
| Wine, rose | 1 |
| Wine, white, cooked | 1 |
| Wine, white, dry (sugars content less than 1%) | 0.99 |
| Wine, white, medium dry (sugars content approximately 1%) | 1 |
| Wine, white, medium sweet (sugars content approximately 2.5%) | 1.01 |
| Wine, white, sparkling, de-alcoholised | 0.97 |
| Wine, white, sweet dessert | 1.05 |
| Yoghurt, frozen, soft serve | 1.34 |
| Yoghurt, various | 1.04 |