Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
An infant Nutrition Facts label is the panel required on any food, other than infant formula, that’s “represented or purported to be specifically for infants through 12 months of age” (21 CFR 101.9(j)(5)(i)). It declares the same core nutrients as a standard label. But it drops the % Daily Value (%DV) on seven of them, because FDA hasn’t set a Daily Reference Value for infants for those nutrients. If you make infant purees, teething snacks or other foods marketed by age or life stage on the package, this is the format the rule calls for, not the standard adult panel.
| Quick facts | Infants (through 12 months) |
|---|---|
| Governing rule | 21 CFR 101.9(j)(5)(i)-(ii) |
| Allowed when | Only for foods represented or purported to be specifically for infants through 12 months |
| Required when | Required for any such food, other than infant formula (101.9(j)(5)(i)) |
| Package area | Any |
| In the NutriLabels builder | Renders in the NutriLabels builder |
When can you use it?
This format isn’t a choice the way tabular or linear labeling is. It applies to foods marketed for this age group, and you can’t use it for products meant for everyone.
The basic nutrient list is the same as for the children 1-3 format (101.9(j)(5)(i)). The rule reads: “calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, and the following vitamins and minerals: Vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.”
The reference values for infants are in the Reference Daily Intake and Daily Reference Value tables at 101.9(c)(8)(iv) and (c)(9). For example, the infant Daily Reference Value is 30 g for total fat and 95 g for total carbohydrate. The infant Reference Daily Intake is 260 mg for calcium and 700 mg for potassium.
When do you have to use it?
Foods for this age group “shall bear nutrition labeling” (101.9(j)(5)(i)). This paragraph has no size or sales-volume exemption written into it, unlike the one for small packages under 101.9(j)(13).
The one exception is infant formula. Infant formula is exempt from this section entirely, because it’s “subject to section 412 of the act” and “labeled in compliance with part 107 of this chapter” (101.9(j)(7)). That’s a completely separate FDA framework with its own premarket notification and testing rules for nutrients. If you make infant formula, not an infant food or snack, this page and the NutriLabels builder’s infant format don’t apply to you. Talk to a regulatory consultant who knows part 107 instead.
What changes on the panel?
The heading order and required nutrients match the standard panel. But 101.9(j)(5)(ii)(A) removes the % Daily Value on seven lines, “saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, dietary fiber, total sugars, or added sugars.” Total fat, total carbohydrate, protein and the four required vitamins and minerals keep their %DV. That’s calculated from the infant Reference Daily Intake and Daily Reference Value table, not the adult one.
The same paragraph also removes the footnote block entirely (“shall not include a footnote”). So there’s no “% Daily Value” explanation at the bottom of an infant panel at all. Most other panels carry it, apart from a few cases like qualifying small packages.
Mistakes to watch for
- Using the adult Daily Reference Value table to work out %DV instead of the infant figures in 101.9(c)(8)(iv) and (c)(9). That gives you the wrong percentages.
- Adding a footnote out of habit. The infant panel doesn’t allow one (101.9(j)(5)(ii)(A)).
- Showing a %DV for saturated fat, sodium or added sugars, which the rule says not to show for this age group.
- Treating infant formula as eligible for this label format instead of labeling it under 21 CFR part 107.
- Forgetting that trans fat, dietary fiber, total sugars and added sugars are still declared in grams, even though they carry no %DV.
Which products usually use it?
Build your label
With the right %DV lines and no footnote, your panel reads the way a parent comparing baby foods on the shelf expects. Enter your recipe and then see your label. Your calories, the claims you qualify for and your allergen line are free, and no credit card is required. The rest of the numbers on your label stay hidden until you buy a Single Product ($29) or the Studio plan ($299 a year). A Single Product unlocks the rest of the numbers on your label, every FDA format your product qualifies for (the infant format included), the ingredient statement and the allergen declaration. Start your label, or see the children 1-3 format and the rest.
Infants (through 12 months) format FAQ
Does this format apply to infant formula?
No. The infant rule covers foods "other than infant formula" (101.9(j)(5)(ii)). Infant formula is exempt from this section entirely under 101.9(j)(7). It's labeled under 21 CFR part 107 instead, a separate set of rules with its own nutrient and testing requirements.
Why doesn't the infant panel show a % Daily Value for saturated fat or sodium?
Infant labeling "shall not declare a percent Daily Value for saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, dietary fiber, total sugars, or added sugars" (101.9(j)(5)(ii)(A)). FDA hasn't set Daily Reference Values for those nutrients at this age. So there's no baseline to work out a percentage from.
Does the infant panel still show % Daily Value for anything?
Yes. Total fat, total carbohydrate, protein and the four required vitamins and minerals (Vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium) do get a %DV. It's calculated from the infant Reference Daily Intakes and Daily Reference Value in 101.9(c)(8)(iv).
Is there a footnote on the infant panel?
No. Infant labeling "shall not include a footnote" at all (101.9(j)(5)(ii)(A)). That's different from the children 1-3 panel, which requires one.
What nutrients must an infant food label declare?
It's calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, Vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium (101.9(j)(5)(i)).
Related formats
Children 1 through 3 years, Bilingual (English/Spanish), Standard vertical. See the full all label formats.