proximate

Proximates are used in the analysis of biological materials as a decomposition of a human-consumable good into its major constituents. They are a good approximation of the contents of packaged comestible goods and serve as a cheap and easy verification of nutritional panels i.e. testing can be used to verify lots, but can not be used to validate a food processor or food processing facility: a nutritional assay must be conducted on the product to qualify said producers. Nutritional panels in the United States are regulated by the FDA and must undergo rigorous testing to ensure the exact and precise content of nutrients in order to prevent a food processor from making unfounded claims to the public.