Every food has a serving size the law already decided for it, a panel it has to show, and one or two things that tend to trip you up with that particular product. Each page below gives the FDA reference amount (RACC) from 21 CFR 101.12, the format your usual package qualifies for, the traps we see most, and a real sample panel rendered by our engine from USDA data.
36 products covered. Each page notes when it was last checked against the regulation.
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| Product | Reference amount (RACC) | Regulator | Typical format |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBQ sauce | 2 tbsp | FDA | Standard vertical for a normal 18 oz retail bottle |
| Beef jerky | 30 g | USDA-FSIS | Tabular for most single-serve 1-3 oz bags |
| Bread | 50 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most loaves |
| Cakes and cupcakes | Cakes, mediumweight | FDA | Standard vertical for boxed multi-packs |
| Candy | All other candies 30 g | FDA | Tabular or linear on small bags |
| Cheese | 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for blocks, shreds, and slices |
| Chips (potato, tortilla, vegetable) | 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most bags |
| Chocolate | All other candies 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for full-size bars |
| Coffee | Coffee or tea, flavored and sweetened | 360 mL prepared | FDA | Standard vertical for most bottled/canned flavored coffee drinks |
| Cookies | 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most bagged cookies |
| Crackers | 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most boxes |
| Dog treats | Not applicable | FDA | Not applicable |
| Energy drinks | Carbonated and noncarbonated beverages, wine coolers, water | 360 mL | FDA | Standard vertical Nutrition Facts for conventional-food energy drinks in 8.4–16 fl oz cans |
| Granola | Breakfast cereals, ready-to-eat, weighing 43 g or more per cup | FDA | Standard vertical for most bagged granola |
| Granola bars | Grain-based bars with or without filling or coating | FDA | Standard vertical for a single wrapped bar over 40 sq in of labelable surface |
| Honey | 1 tbsp | FDA | Standard vertical for jars and squeeze bottles |
| Hot sauce | 1 tsp | FDA | Standard vertical for a normal 5 oz retail bottle |
| Ice cream | Ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, ices | 2/3 cup | FDA | Standard vertical |
| Jam and Jelly | 1 tbsp | FDA | Standard vertical for the usual 8–32 oz retail jar |
| Juice | Juices, nectars, fruit drinks | 240 mL | FDA | Standard vertical for most single-serve and multi-serve juice bottles |
| Kombucha | Carbonated and noncarbonated beverages, wine coolers, water | 360 mL | FDA | Standard vertical for most bottled kombucha |
| Muffins | 110 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most bakery muffins |
| Nut butter | 2 tbsp | FDA | Standard vertical for most jars |
| Pasta (dry and fresh) | Pastas, plain | 140 g prepared | FDA | Standard vertical for boxed dry pasta |
| Pickles | 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for the usual 16–32 oz jar |
| Popcorn | 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most bags |
| Protein bars | Grain-based bars with or without filling or coating | FDA | Standard vertical Nutrition Facts for a conventional-food bar over 40 sq in |
| Salad dressing | Dressings for salads, 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most bottles |
| Salsa | 2 tbsp | FDA | Standard vertical for a normal 16 oz jar |
| Soda and craft beverages | Carbonated and noncarbonated beverages, wine coolers, water | 360 mL | FDA | Standard vertical for single-serving cans/bottles up to about 20 fl oz |
| Soup | Soups, all varieties, 245 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most cans and pouches |
| Spice blends and seasonings | Spices, herbs, 1/4 tsp or 0.5 g if not measurable by teaspoon | FDA | Linear or tabular for small shaker jars and single-use packets at or under 40 sq in |
| Tea | Coffee or tea, flavored and sweetened | 360 mL prepared | FDA | Standard vertical for most bottled sweetened tea |
| Tortillas (corn and flour) | 55 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most stacks |
| Trail mix and nuts | 30 g | FDA | Standard vertical for most bags |
| Yogurt | Yogurt | 170 g | FDA | Standard vertical |
How the serving size gets decided
FDA does not let you pick a serving size. 21 CFR 101.12 lists a Reference Amount Customarily Consumed for every product category, and your label serving must be the household measure closest to it, with the gram or milliliter weight in parentheses. Packages holding less than twice the reference amount are one serving; packages holding two to three times it usually need a second per-container column. The pages above do that math for the package sizes each product is normally sold in. Read the rules in plain language at FDA nutrition labeling rules.
Which format your package qualifies for
The standard vertical panel is the default. Packages with 40 square inches or less of labeling area may use the tabular layout, very small packages may use the linear one, and multi-serving single-unit packages carry a dual column. Each product page names the formats that fit its usual packaging; the label formats section explains each one.
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