Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
The tabular Nutrition Facts format lays required nutrients out in rows and columns instead of one tall column, and it’s allowed under two different rules: 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) for packages with 40 sq in or less of available labeling area, and 21 CFR 101.9(d)(11) for any package, regardless of size, whose shape genuinely can’t accommodate a standard vertical column.
| Quick facts | Tabular |
|---|---|
| Governing rule | 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) and 101.9(d)(11) |
| Allowed when | 40 sq in or less of available labeling area, or any panel that can't fit a standard vertical column |
| Required when | Required only when a vertical column genuinely won't fit the panel; otherwise it's optional |
| Package area | 40 sq in or less (small-package route); larger packages qualify only if a vertical column truly can't be accommodated |
| In the NutriLabels builder | Renders in the NutriLabels builder |
When you may use it
There are two separate doors into tabular. The first is a size test: 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) allows packages with 40 sq in or less of total surface area available to bear labeling to present nutrition information in tabular fashion. The second is a fit test that doesn’t depend on the 40-sq-in ceiling at all: 21 CFR 101.9(d)(11) allows a tabular display whenever a package genuinely cannot accommodate a standard vertical column: in practice, when there isn’t roughly 3 inches of continuous vertical space to run the full panel from calories through potassium. A package under 40 sq in that’s also too narrow or oddly shaped for even a tabular layout may instead qualify for linear (string) format under 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(2), but only if a tabular display truly won’t fit either.
When it is required
Tabular isn’t required just because a package is small. Under 40 sq in, you can still choose the standard vertical panel if it fits, or move to linear if tabular doesn’t. It becomes the practical requirement only when the shape or size of the package rules out a standard vertical column outright under 101.9(d)(11); at that point, tabular (or linear, if tabular itself won’t fit) is what’s left. Linear is allowed only if the package is under 12 sq in, or is 40 sq in or less and cannot accommodate a standard vertical column or a tabular display on any panel; 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(2) doesn’t describe any configuration beyond that “will not accommodate a tabular display” test.
What changes on the panel
Nutrients still appear in the same required order and with the same values as a standard panel, but arranged in columns rather than stacked rows, which changes how headings and rules are placed. Packages that qualify under 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) or (A)(2) may drop the full percent-daily-value explanation and use a short “% DV = % Daily Value” footnote instead, per 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(B). The same paragraph authorizes space-saving abbreviations in place of full nutrient names. The complete list under 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(B) is: Serving size (Serv size); Servings per container (Servings); Calories from saturated fat (Sat fat cal); Saturated fat (Sat fat); Monounsaturated fat (Monounsat fat); Polyunsaturated fat (Polyunsat fat); Cholesterol (Cholest); Total carbohydrate (Total carb); Dietary fiber (Fiber); Soluble fiber (Sol fiber); Insoluble fiber (Insol fiber); Sugar alcohol (Sugar alc); Vitamin (Vit.); Potassium (Potas.); Includes (Incl.). Type-size minimums still apply, following the same tiers used on the standard panel under 101.9(d)(1)(iii): 8 point for core nutrient information, 6 point for most remaining required text, though very small packages under 101.9(j)(13)(i) get a lower 6-point (or all-caps 1/16-inch) floor if any nutrition information appears at all.
Common mistakes
- Assuming any package under 40 sq in must use tabular; vertical is still allowed if it physically fits.
- Skipping straight to linear format without confirming tabular genuinely doesn’t fit first, which 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(2) requires.
- Using an abbreviation that isn’t on the authorized list, or abbreviating a nutrient name the rule doesn’t cover.
- Measuring “available labeling area” as just the front panel instead of the full surface area eligible to carry labeling.
- Dropping the entire footnote instead of substituting the shorter, still-required “% DV = % Daily Value” line.
Products that usually need this
Small-format packaging drives most tabular labels: spice-blends, candy, jerky, trail-mix-nuts, and single-serve popcorn pouches commonly fall at or under the 40-sq-in threshold.
Build it
A tabular panel keeps every required nutrient on your small pouch or tin at a size a shopper can read. Enter your recipe, then see your label: the calorie count, the nutrient content claims you qualify for and your allergen line show free, no card required, while every other value and %DV stays hidden until you unlock it. $29 unlocks every other nutrient value and %DV, every FDA format your product qualifies for (tabular included), the ingredient statement and allergen declaration. Start your label, or compare the other label formats.
Tabular format FAQ
What counts as "available labeling area" for the 40 sq in test?
The regulation speaks of "total surface area available to bear labeling" (21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1)). FDA's Food Labeling Guide treats that as the whole package surface that could carry a label, excluding areas like the bottom that cannot.
Is tabular ever required, or always optional?
For most packages at or under 40 sq in, it's one of several options (tabular, or linear if the area is smaller still). It functions as effectively required only when the package shape genuinely can't accommodate a standard vertical column, per 21 CFR 101.9(d)(11).
Can I drop the footnote on a tabular panel?
Packages that qualify under 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) or (A)(2) may omit the full percent-daily-value footnote, using an abbreviated "% DV = % Daily Value" note instead, per 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(B).
What abbreviations can I use on a tabular panel?
21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(B) authorizes a full, specific set of abbreviations for nutrient and label terms on a qualifying tabular panel; see the complete list below.
What's the difference between the (j)(13) route and the (d)(11) route into tabular?
(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) is a size test: 40 sq in or less of available labeling area. (d)(11) is a fit test that can apply even above 40 sq in, when the package's shape or size genuinely can't accommodate a standard vertical column anywhere on it.
Related formats
Standard vertical, Linear, Simplified, Bilingual (English/Spanish). See the full all label formats.