Unitary, mix, and combo: choosing a SATN product type

Understand the three product types in SATN — unitary, mix, and combo — and when to use each one for accurate nutritional labeling.

SATN organizes food products into three types based on how their recipe is structured and how nutritional values are calculated. Choosing the right type from the start ensures that the nutritional table SATN generates reflects the actual composition of the product you are labeling.

The three product types

Unitary product

A unitary product is a single-formula item whose nutritional values are calculated directly from a list of ICBF ingredients. This is the most common product type and the foundation for combos.

Use a unitary product when:

• Your product has one continuous recipe (e.g., a cookie, a sauce, a beverage)
• All ingredients come from the ICBF database
• The product may undergo moisture loss during processing

Fields you fill in:

• Product name and commercial presentation
• Serving size (g) and unit of measurement
• Total amount (g) of the finished product
• Water significance flag — enable this if the product loses moisture during cooking or drying, then supply the moisture-loss parameters
• Ingredient list, each with its quantity in grams

How nutritional values are calculated: Each ingredient’s contribution is weighted by its mass fraction (ingredient amount ÷ total amount). If moisture loss is significant, SATN adjusts ingredient amounts to a dry-base before calculating. See How SATN calculates nutritional values for the full method.

Mix product

A mix product is a single packaged item made up of multiple named components — for example, a pasta kit with a “Sauce” component and a “Dough” component. Each component has its own ingredient list, and SATN combines all components into one nutritional table.

Use a mix product when:

• Your product has distinct sub-recipes that are physically separate but sold together
• Each component needs its own ingredient tracking
• The final label must represent the combined nutritional profile of all components

Fields you fill in:

• Product name and commercial presentation
• Component names (e.g., “Sauce”, “Dough”, “Seasoning packet”)
• For each component: a list of ingredients with quantities

How nutritional values are calculated: SATN applies the same mass-fraction method to each component independently, then aggregates the results across all components to produce the single nutritional table for the product.

Combo product

A combo product is a bundle of existing unitary products sold together. Instead of entering ingredients, you select unitary products that are already registered in SATN. Nutritional values for the combo are derived from the averages of the selected unitary products.

Use a combo product when:

• You sell two or more individually labeled products together as a single SKU
• The component products are already registered as unitary products in SATN
• You need one nutritional table that represents the combined offering

Fields you fill in:

• Product name and commercial presentation
• Serving size (g) and unit of measurement
• A list of existing unitary products to include in the bundle

How nutritional values are calculated: SATN averages the nutritional values of the selected unitary products to generate the combo’s nutritional table. Ensure the component unitary products are complete and accurate before creating a combo.

Comparison at a glance

	Unitary	Mix	Combo
Recipe input	Ingredients list	Components, each with ingredients	Existing unitary products
Calculation method	Mass fraction per ingredient	Mass fraction per component, then aggregated	Average of component unitary products
Moisture loss support	Yes	No	No
Depends on other products	No	No	Yes — requires existing unitary products

You cannot convert a product from one type to another after it has been created. Choose the correct type before you begin filling in the form.

If you are unsure whether to use a unitary or mix product, ask yourself: does each part of the recipe need to be tracked separately? If yes, use a mix product. If the entire recipe is one continuous preparation, use a unitary product.