The Nutrition Facts label is one of the most recognizable pieces of design in the world. It's also one of the most tightly regulated. FDA's rules live in 21 CFR 101.9. The current version comes from the 2016 final rule that updated the label for the first time in more than twenty years. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales had to comply by January 1, 2020. Smaller manufacturers had until January 1, 2021.
This guide walks through what the rules require, in the order you'll meet them when building a label. It covers FDA-regulated foods. Meat, poultry, and some egg products fall under USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which has its own, similar rules.
Who needs a Nutrition Facts label
Most packaged foods sold to consumers in the United States must carry nutrition labeling. Section 101.9(j) lists the main exemptions, including:
- Small businesses: retailers with low sales, and low-volume products from small manufacturers. See our guide to the small business nutrition labeling exemption.
- Food served for immediate consumption: restaurants, cafeterias, food trucks, and bakeries with seating.
- Ready-to-eat foods prepared and sold on site: an independent bakery or deli selling its own products, for example.
- Foods with insignificant amounts of all required nutrients: plain coffee beans, tea leaves, flavor extracts, and some spices.
- Bulk food for further manufacturing, plus raw fruits, vegetables, and fish, which have a separate voluntary program.
There's one rule that runs through almost every exemption: it disappears the moment you make a nutrition claim. If your label, website, or ads say "low fat", "high protein", "only 100 calories", or anything similar, you need a full Nutrition Facts label. (For cottage food producers, state law adds its own rules. See our state-by-state cottage food guides.)
Where the label goes on the package
The Nutrition Facts label goes on the principal display panel, the front, or on the information panel, usually the panel immediately to the right of the front. Packages with very limited space have other options, covered below.
The nutrients you must list
Under 21 CFR 101.9(c), the label must declare these, in this order:
- Calories
- Total Fat, with Saturated Fat and Trans Fat indented beneath it
- Cholesterol
- Sodium
- Total Carbohydrate, with Dietary Fiber, Total Sugars, and "Includes X g Added Sugars" indented beneath it
- Protein
- Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium
You list the amount per serving, by weight, for each one, plus a percent Daily Value (%DV) for most. The adult Daily Values include:
- 78 g total fat
- 20 g saturated fat
- 300 mg cholesterol
- 2,300 mg sodium
- 275 g total carbohydrate
- 28 g dietary fiber
- 50 g added sugars
Trans fat and total sugars have no %DV. Protein needs a %DV only when you make a protein claim, or when the food is meant for children under four. Our % Daily Value explainer covers the math.
Other nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, polyunsaturated fat, and sugar alcohols, are voluntary. They become mandatory if you add them to the food as a nutrient, or make a claim about them.
At the bottom of the label sits a footnote. The short version reads: "The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice."
Serving size and servings per container
The serving size isn't what you think a serving should be. It's based on the Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) that FDA sets for each food category in 21 CFR 101.12. A cookie's RACC is 30 g, bread's is 50 g, and most beverages' is 360 mL (12 fl oz). You state the serving in a common household measure, such as "1 cookie" or "2 slices", followed by the metric amount in parentheses.
Servings per container is rounded to the nearest whole number. Between 2 and 5 servings, it's rounded to the nearest half. If the number isn't exact, it's preceded by "about". Packages that hold between one and three RACCs may need a dual-column label. Our RACC guide walks through the decision.
Rounding rules that trip people up
FDA spells out rounding for every nutrient. A few that catch people:
- Calories: under 5 is declared as 0. Up to 50, round to the nearest 5. Above 50, round to the nearest 10.
- Fat: under 0.5 g is declared as 0. Under 5 g, round to the nearest 0.5 g. At 5 g and above, round to the nearest gram.
- Sodium: under 5 mg is declared as 0. From 5 to 140 mg, round to the nearest 5 mg. Above 140 mg, round to the nearest 10 mg.
- Vitamins and minerals (%DV): round to the nearest 2% up to 10%, the nearest 5% up to 50%, and the nearest 10% above that.
Round the final declared amount per serving, not each ingredient. A good label tool handles this for you. Still, it's worth knowing, so you can sanity-check the result.
Choosing the right label format
The standard vertical label is the default. FDA allows other formats when they fit the product or package better:
- [Simplified](/labels/simplified-display/): when eight or more of the required nutrients are present in insignificant amounts. See our standard vs simplified comparison.
- [Dual column](/labels/dual-column-display-per-serving-and-per-container/): per serving and per package, for packages that hold 200–300% of the RACC.
- [Two forms of the same food](/labels/dual-columns-two-forms-of-the-same-food/): "as packaged" and "as prepared", common for mixes.
- [Aggregate](/labels/aggregate-display/): variety packs.
- [Tabular](/labels/tabular-display-for-small-or-intermediate-sized-packages/) or [linear](/labels/linear-display-for-small-or-intermediate-sized-packages/): packages without room for a vertical label. Linear is permitted only when the label won't fit in tabular form, on packages with 40 square inches or less of available label space.
- [Infant](/labels/infants-through-12-months-of-age/) and [children 1–3](/labels/children-1-3-years/): foods for young children, which use different Daily Values and rules.
- [Bilingual](/labels/bilingual-english-spanish/): when the label appears in a second language.
Packages with less than 12 square inches of available label space are exempt from nutrition labeling, as long as they make no claims. They must give an address or phone number where consumers can get the information.
Type size and design basics
The label has to be legible and follow a specific hierarchy. "Nutrition Facts" is set larger than all other print in the panel. Calories and the numeric calorie amount are the largest items, at 16 point and 22 point minimum on a standard label. Most nutrient information can't be smaller than 8 point. Our font and formatting rules guide has the full list.
Common mistakes we see
- Using a recipe serving instead of the RACC. "Makes 12 cookies" doesn't make your serving one-twelfth of the batch.
- Forgetting added sugars. Honey, maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates usually count. See our added sugars guide.
- Old-format labels. Labels from before 2016 used "Calories from Fat" and vitamins A and C. Current labels list vitamin D and potassium instead.
- Skipping the allergen statement. Allergens aren't part of the Nutrition Facts panel, but they're still required. See our allergen labeling guide.
- Making a claim on a "label-exempt" product. One "healthy" sticker can undo the exemption.
Frequently asked questions
Which nutrients are required on the FDA Nutrition Facts label?
Calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Where do FDA nutrition rules live?
Mainly in 21 CFR 101.9, with serving sizes in 21 CFR 101.12 and nutrient content claims in 21 CFR 101.13 and related sections.
Does a small bakery need a Nutrition Facts label?
Often not, if it qualifies for an exemption and makes no nutrition claims. Products sold through other retailers may still need one.
Can I make a Nutrition Facts label myself?
Yes. FDA doesn't require lab testing. Values can come from calculations based on reliable nutrient databases, but you're responsible for their accuracy.
