Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
The %DV on a Nutrition Facts panel is your product’s nutrient amount divided by an FDA-set daily reference number, expressed as a whole-percent figure. FDA fixes those reference numbers in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9) (fat 78 g, saturated fat 20 g, cholesterol 300 mg, sodium 2,300 mg, total carbohydrate 275 g, dietary fiber 28 g, added sugars 50 g) and in (c)(8)(iv) for vitamins and minerals (vitamin D 20 mcg, calcium 1,300 mg, iron 18 mg, potassium 4,700 mg). Your %DV is calculated against these fixed numbers, not against your own recipe or a competitor’s label. Three nutrients never carry a %DV at all: trans fat, total sugars, and (in most cases) protein.
| Quick facts | Percent Daily Value (%DV) |
|---|---|
| Regulation | 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8), (c)(9), (d)(7) |
| Applies to | Any packaged food required to carry a Nutrition Facts panel |
| Key numbers | Fat DV 78g; sodium DV 2,300mg; fiber DV 28g; added sugars DV 50g; %DV rounds to nearest whole percent |
The rule
Section 101.9(c)(9) states that “the following DRVs [Daily Reference Values], nomenclature, and units of measure are established for the following food components” and then lists the macronutrient targets used to calculate %DV. A parallel table in (c)(8)(iv) sets Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs) for vitamins and minerals. Both sets of numbers are fixed by regulation for a 2,000-calorie diet baseline; they do not change based on what your product actually contains, and you can’t substitute your own reference number.
The calculation itself is spelled out in (d)(7)(ii): “The percent shall be calculated by dividing either the amount declared on the label for each nutrient or the actual amount of each nutrient… by the DRV for the nutrient.” Rounding differs by nutrient family. Macronutrient %DV (fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, added sugars, and protein when declared) rounds to the nearest whole percent under (d)(7)(ii). Vitamin and mineral %DV follows a stepped scale in (c)(8)(iii): “the nearest 2-percent increment up to and including the 10-percent level, the nearest 5-percent increment above 10 percent and up to and including the 50-percent level, and the nearest 10-percent increment above the 50-percent level.”
Trans fat has no %DV column because FDA never established a Daily Reference Value for it; (c)(2)(ii) requires only the gram declaration. Total sugars, defined in (c)(6)(ii) as “the sum of all free mono- and disaccharides,” also carries no %DV; only its “Added Sugars” subline does, against the 50 g DV. Protein’s %DV is optional under (c)(7) unless a protein claim (“good source of protein,” “high protein”) appears on the package, or the product is marketed for infants through 12 months or children 1 through 3 years old, cases where the corrected protein value must be declared and its %DV shown.
The numbers
| Nutrient | Daily Reference Value (adults) | %DV shown? |
|---|---|---|
| Total fat | 78 g | Yes |
| Saturated fat | 20 g | Yes |
| Cholesterol | 300 mg | Yes |
| Sodium | 2,300 mg | Yes |
| Total carbohydrate | 275 g | Yes |
| Dietary fiber | 28 g | Yes |
| Added sugars | 50 g | Yes |
| Protein | 50 g | Only if claim made, or infant/toddler product |
| Trans fat | Not established | No |
| Total sugars | Not established | No |
| Vitamin D | 20 mcg | Yes (stepped rounding) |
| Calcium | 1,300 mg | Yes (stepped rounding) |
| Iron | 18 mg | Yes (stepped rounding) |
| Potassium | 4,700 mg | Yes (stepped rounding) |
Separate, lower DRVs and RDIs apply for infants, children 1-3, and pregnant/lactating women under (c)(8)(iv), which sets a full table of nutrient levels for each group rather than a single adult figure. Calcium, for instance, is 1,300 mg for adults but 260 mg for infants and 700 mg for children 1–3; vitamin C is 90 mg for adults but 50 mg for infants and 15 mg for children 1–3. Check the (c)(8)(iv) table directly for any nutrient and age group you’re labeling for one of these populations rather than assuming the adult RDI applies.
On the label
A 40 g serving of granola bars with 6 g of saturated fat divides against the 20 g DV: 6 ÷ 20 = 0.30, which rounds to the whole percent shown: “30%.” A version with 5.7 g would still calculate to 28.5%, rounding under (d)(7)(ii) to “29%,” not “28.5%” or “30%”. The panel never shows a decimal. If that same bar lists 320 mg of calcium, the vitamin/mineral scale in (c)(8)(iii) applies instead: 320 ÷ 1,300 = 24.6%, which falls in the “above 10 and up to 50” band and rounds to the nearest 5%, printing as “25%,” not “24%” or “26%.”
Mistakes we see
- Rounding a macronutrient %DV to the nearest 5% or 10%, copying the vitamin/mineral rule onto fat, sodium, or fiber by mistake.
- Applying the whole-percent macronutrient rule to a mineral like calcium or iron, which needs the stepped 2/5/10 scale instead.
- Printing a %DV next to trans fat or total sugars, where no DV exists.
- Showing a protein %DV on an adult snack with no protein claim, when 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7) makes that line optional.
- Calculating %DV off a rounded gram figure instead of the pre-rounded actual amount, which can shift the printed percent by a point.
Related rules
The Daily Reference Values here work alongside the underlying gram and milligram rounding rules that set the nutrient amounts %DV is calculated from, and the footnote that explains what “%DV” means on a 2,000-calorie diet. Because added sugars gets its own DV and declaration line, see added sugars for that nutrient specifically, and what is RACC for how the serving size behind these numbers gets set in the first place.
Build it right, automatically
NutriLabels’ builder calculates every %DV for you, pulling the correct Daily Reference Value or Reference Daily Intake for each nutrient, applying the whole-percent rule to macronutrients and the stepped rule to vitamins and minerals, so you never have to remember which nutrient uses which scale.
When every %DV on your panel rounds the way FDA expects, a buyer comparing your product to the one beside it sees numbers that hold up. Enter your recipe, then see your label: free with no card required, you see your calories, the claims you qualify for, your allergen line and the nutrient to watch, and 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, and your ingredient statement and allergen declaration, ready to print. Start your label or read the footnote rule that explains %DV on the panel.
FAQ
Why doesn't trans fat have a %DV?
FDA never set a Daily Reference Value for trans fat, so 21 CFR 101.9(c)(2)(ii) requires the gram amount only, with no percentage column.
Does protein get a %DV?
Only if you make a protein claim or the product is for infants through 12 months or children 1 through 3 years old; otherwise 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7) lets you skip it.
Are the Daily Values the same for every age group?
No. 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) and (c)(9) set separate Reference Daily Intakes and Daily Reference Values for infants, children 1-3, and pregnant/lactating women, in addition to the adult figures most labels use.
Do vitamins and minerals round the same way as fat or sodium?
No. Macronutrient %DV rounds to the nearest whole percent under 21 CFR 101.9(d)(7)(ii); vitamin and mineral %DV uses a stepped scale under (c)(8)(iii).
Where do the %DV numbers actually come from?
FDA publishes a fixed reference amount for each nutrient (the Daily Reference Value or Reference Daily Intake), and your label's %DV is your product's amount divided by that fixed number.
Related rules
What is a RACC?, Rounding rules, Added Sugars, %DV footnote text. See the full all labeling rules.