Last verified 21 Sept 2026 · generated from 21 CFR 101.9(b) and 101.12(b) by the NutriLabels serving engine · Sources
Cacao powder serving size: 1 tbsp (5g). FDA files cacao powder under “Cocoa powder, carob powder, unsweetened”, whose reference amount customarily consumed (RACC) is 1 tbsp. The serving on your Nutrition Facts panel is the household measure closest to that reference amount, written as the measure followed by its metric weight.
The gram weight follows what the market actually declares: 25 of 35 cacao powder products in USDA’s FoodData Central Branded Foods database (71%) print 1 tbsp (5 g). Your own product’s weight of 1 tbsp is what goes on the label; the app asks you to weigh it so the number is yours.
The declaration
| FDA category | Miscellaneous: Cocoa powder, carob powder, unsweetened |
| Reference amount (RACC) | 1 tbsp |
| FDA label statement | 1 tbsp (__ g) |
| Serving size declaration | 1 tbsp (5g) (market convention, weigh to confirm) |
| Single-serving container | Any package under 14 g (0.5 oz) is one serving: the whole package is the serving size (21 CFR 101.9(b)(6)). |
| Dual-column panel | Packages holding 14 g–20 g (0.5 oz–0.7 oz) must show a second column for the whole package (21 CFR 101.9(b)(12)). |
Servings per container
| Package | Serving size | Servings per container |
|---|---|---|
| 8 oz (227 g) | 1 tbsp (5g) | about 45 |
| 12 oz (340 g) | 1 tbsp (5g) | about 68 |
| 16 oz (454 g) | 1 tbsp (5g) | about 91 |
| 24 oz (680 g) | 1 tbsp (5g) | about 136 |
| 32 oz (907 g) | 1 tbsp (5g) | about 181 |
Servings are rounded exactly as 21 CFR 101.9(b)(8) requires: to the nearest whole number, except between 2 and 5 servings, which round to the nearest half; “about” marks any rounding.
What this means for your label
- Declare the serving as 1 tbsp followed by its weight in grams, for example “1 tbsp (5g)”.
- Cups are written in 1/4- or 1/3-cup steps; tablespoons as 1, 1 1/3, 1 1/2, 1 2/3, 2 or 3; teaspoons as 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1 or 2 (21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(i)). Any other increment is not permitted.
- A package under 14 g is one serving no matter what: the panel reads “1 serving per container” and the serving size is the whole package.
- All the nutrient values on the panel are per this serving, rounded by 21 CFR 101.9(c). Change the serving and every number changes with it.
Free to build and preview. The print-ready label is $29 for one product, with the serving size, ingredient statement and allergen declaration worked out from the regulation.
Also covers
carob powder · unsweetened cocoa: all filed under the same FDA category, so the same serving applies.
Related serving sizes
- Cocoa powder: 1 tbsp (5g)
Sources
- 21 CFR 101.12: Reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion (Table 2).
- 21 CFR 101.9(b), serving size: (b)(2) the three procedures, (b)(5) how the measure is written, (b)(6) single-serving containers, (b)(8) servings per container, (b)(12) dual column.