Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
| Quick facts | Mandatory vitamins/minerals |
|---|---|
| Regulation | 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8) |
| Applies to | Any packaged food required to carry a Nutrition Facts label |
| Key numbers | Mandatory: vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium. Adult RDIs: 20 mcg, 1,300 mg, 18 mg, 4,700 mg |
The direct answer
FDA requires four vitamins and minerals on every Nutrition Facts label: vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium, listed in that order (21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)). Each one needs both a quantitative amount (mg or mcg) and a %DV, calculated against the adult Reference Daily Intakes of 20 mcg vitamin D, 1,300 mg calcium, 18 mg iron, and 4,700 mg potassium. Everything else (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, and the rest) is voluntary unless it’s added as a supplement or you make a claim about it.
The rule
Before 2016, the mandatory list was vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. FDA’s 2016 final rule updating the Nutrition Facts label swapped that out: vitamin A and vitamin C came off the mandatory list (deficiencies in those two are now rare in the U.S. population) and vitamin D and potassium went on, because most Americans don’t get enough of either. The current text of 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8) requires that “vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium” be declared for every food required to bear nutrition labeling (ecfr.gov).
Beyond the mandatory four, you may voluntarily declare other vitamins and minerals: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, iodine, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, and chloride. Voluntary stops being voluntary in two situations the rule spells out directly: the nutrient is “added as a nutrient supplement,” or “a claim is made about” it. In either case it moves onto the panel with the same amount-plus-%DV treatment as the mandatory four (21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(ii)).
Whatever is declared, mandatory or voluntary, needs both pieces of information, not the amount alone, and not the %DV alone. That’s what lets a shopper compare a serving’s calcium against the daily intake it’s benchmarked to.
The numbers
The %DV for each vitamin or mineral is the declared amount divided by its RDI (Reference Daily Intake), set by population group in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv). For labels aimed at the general population age 4 and up, the RDIs for the four mandatory nutrients are:
| Nutrient | Adult RDI (4+ years) | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | 20 mcg | Yes |
| Calcium | 1,300 mg | Yes |
| Iron | 18 mg | Yes |
| Potassium | 4,700 mg | Yes |
| Vitamin A | 900 mcg RAE | No (voluntary or claim-triggered) |
| Vitamin C | 90 mg | No (voluntary or claim-triggered) |
| Magnesium | 420 mg | No (voluntary or claim-triggered) |
The regulation sets separate RDI tables for infants, children 1 to 3, and pregnant or lactating women. A product labeled for one of those groups (see /formats/infant/ and /formats/children-1-3/) uses that group’s numbers instead of the adult figures above.
On the label
Say you make granola (see /product-labels/granola/) and add vitamin D fortification to compete on a “good source of vitamin D” claim. Before fortifying, your label needed only the four mandatory lines: vitamin D at whatever the oats naturally contribute (often 0), calcium, iron, potassium. After fortifying, vitamin D’s amount and %DV both go up to reflect the added nutrient, and because a claim is now riding on it, the declared amount has to be back-checked against 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8) and the claim’s own numeric threshold, not just rounded and dropped onto the panel.
If you make yogurt (see /product-labels/yogurt/), it’s a simpler case: yogurt is naturally a calcium source, so calcium’s %DV is often meaningfully higher than a granola bar’s, purely from the base ingredient, with no fortification or claim required to declare it, since it’s mandatory regardless.
Mistakes we see
- Still listing vitamin A and vitamin C as if they’re mandatory, left over from a pre-2016 template, while vitamin D or potassium is missing entirely.
- Declaring only the %DV and dropping the gram/mg amount (or vice versa) for one of the four core nutrients. Both are required together.
- Forgetting that a claim triggers mandatory declaration. A “good source of zinc” claim on the front of pack with no zinc line on the back panel is a mismatch reviewers catch immediately.
- Wrong order. The rule specifies vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium in that sequence, not alphabetical, not by amount.
- Using an outdated RDI carried over from a spreadsheet built before the 2016 rule, which understates or overstates the %DV.
Related rules
The vitamin and mineral lines sit inside the same %DV math covered in /labeling-rules/percent-daily-value/ and end up referenced by the /labeling-rules/footnote-daily-value/ at the bottom of the panel. If fortification pushes you toward a “good source of” or “excellent source of” claim, check /labeling-rules/nutrient-content-claims/ before you print packaging.
Build it right
Our builder applies the current 2016-rule vitamin and mineral requirements automatically: it always includes vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium with their correct RDIs, and adds any voluntary nutrient you supply data for with the matching %DV math.
The right four nutrients in the right order show a buyer your label was built to the current rule, not a pre-2016 template. 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, and your ingredient statement and allergen declaration, ready to print. Build your label or browse more labeling rules.
FAQ
Do I still have to list vitamin A and vitamin C?
No. FDA's 2016 final rule replaced vitamin A and vitamin C with vitamin D and potassium as mandatory nutrients (21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)). You can still declare vitamin A or C voluntarily, or if a claim is made about them.
What if my product has zero of a mandatory vitamin or mineral?
You still declare it, at "0" with 0% DV. Vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium can't be omitted from the panel the way some other nutrients can under limited exemptions.
Do I need both the amount and the %DV, or just one?
Both. 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8) requires the quantitative amount by weight (mg or mcg) and the percent Daily Value for vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Does adding a vitamin C claim make vitamin C mandatory?
Yes. Any vitamin or mineral becomes mandatory to declare once it's added as a nutrient supplement or a claim is made about it, even if it isn't one of the four core nutrients.
Where do the RDI numbers come from?
21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) sets Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs) by population group. The 20 mcg / 1,300 mg / 18 mg / 4,700 mg figures are the RDIs for the general population 4 years and older.
Related rules
Percent Daily Value (%DV), %DV footnote text, Nutrient content claims, Rounding rules. See the full all labeling rules.