Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
A linear Nutrition Facts label folds every mandatory value into one continuous string of text (“Calories 45, Total Fat 1g, 2% DV, Sodium 95mg, 4% DV…”) instead of the familiar stacked column, and 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(2) allows it only on packages with 40 sq in or less of label area that genuinely can’t fit a tabular display, or on packages under 12 sq in outright. It’s the format for spice packets, single-stick gum, small candy pieces, and other packaging too small or oddly shaped for a boxed panel.
| Quick facts | Linear |
|---|---|
| Governing rule | 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(2), 101.9(j)(13)(i), 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(B) |
| Allowed when | Label area 40 sq in or less and no panel fits a tabular display; under 12 sq in always qualifies |
| Required when | Never required; a linear label is one of several small-package options |
| Package area | 40 sq in or less (typically used under 12 sq in) |
| In the NutriLabels builder | Renders in the NutriLabels builder |
When you may use it
21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii) covers packages with 40 sq in or less of total surface area available to bear labeling. Within that group, the regulation lets you choose tabular formatting, but reserves linear formatting for a narrower case: label area under 12 sq in, or (even between 12 and 40 sq in) only “if the label will not accommodate a tabular display” (101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(2)). In practice, that means you try to fit the tabular grid on the panel first; you don’t get to pick linear over tabular just for taste. If a tabular box genuinely won’t fit the shape or curvature of your smallest panel, linear is the fallback.
This sits separately from the under-12-sq-in exemption in 101.9(j)(13)(i), which lets a package that small skip nutrition labeling altogether (no panel at all) as long as it carries no nutrition claims and prints a phone number or address for nutrition information instead. A linear label is the opposite choice: you’re still declaring full nutrition information, just in string form. A package under 12 sq in that chooses to label voluntarily isn’t limited to linear specifically: both tabular and linear are permitted under 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A), and linear is required only if the package can’t accommodate a tabular display.
When it is required
Linear is never mandatory. It’s one of three small-package options: skip labeling under 12 sq in with no claims (101.9(j)(13)(i)), use tabular format, or use linear format, and which one applies depends on your smallest available panel and whether you’re making a nutrition claim (which forecloses the skip-labeling option). If your package exceeds 40 sq in, none of the small-format allowances apply and you’re back to a standard or simplified vertical panel, unless 101.9(j)(17) applies because your principal display panel and information panel both genuinely lack room for any format.
What changes on the panel
A linear label reads as one run-on line rather than a boxed column: nutrient names appear in bold followed by their amount and %DV, separated by commas or semicolons, in the same top-to-bottom order the vertical format uses (calories, then fat, sodium, carbohydrate, protein, and the required vitamins and minerals). FDA’s sample label images show this as continuous text with bolded nutrient names carrying the numbers immediately after. There’s no grid, no ruled lines, and no separate calories-per-serving header box.
101.9(j)(13)(ii)(B) permits a defined set of abbreviations here that aren’t allowed on a full vertical panel: 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.). That matters when you’re trying to fit a full nutrient list into a few square inches. The standard footnote about %DV being based on a 2,000-calorie diet may be dropped entirely for packages qualifying under 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) or (A)(2); if you keep a footnote, an abbreviated “% DV = % Daily Value” satisfies the requirement. Type size still has to meet the general legibility standard, and mandatory nutrients and their order don’t change; only the layout does.
Common mistakes
- Choosing linear because it looks simpler, without first confirming a tabular display genuinely won’t fit. The regulation makes tabular the default for 12–40 sq in packages and linear the fallback.
- Dropping required nutrients to save space; the linear format changes layout, not which nutrients are mandatory.
- Forgetting the footnote language is optional to drop, not optional to word however you like: if you keep it, use the FDA-permitted abbreviated form.
- Using linear on a package well over 40 sq in because there’s a lot of empty space elsewhere on the label. The eligibility is about label area, not about how “small” the product feels.
- Skipping nutrition information entirely on a 15 sq in package, confusing the under-12-sq-in exemption in (j)(13)(i) with the linear allowance in (j)(13)(ii), which are two different thresholds.
Products that usually need this
Linear formatting shows up most on genuinely small, single-serving packaging: spice blends, candy pieces and small bars, tea bags sold individually, gum and small chocolate pieces, and single-serve coffee pods or sticks. If your smallest panel is a strip a fraction of an inch tall, linear is usually the format that actually fits.
Build it
Choosing the right small-package format up front means your full nutrition declaration fits the strip of label you actually have. Enter your recipe, then see your label: its shape and calorie count, the claims you qualify for and your allergen line are free, no card required, 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 (linear included, if your package area calls for it), the ingredient statement and allergen declaration. Start your label, or compare the other label formats.
Linear format FAQ
Can I use a linear label just because I like how it looks?
No. 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii) ties linear format to package size and shape. It's available only when the label area is 40 sq in or less and the package can't accommodate a tabular display, or when the area is under 12 sq in.
Is linear the same as the tiny-package exemption?
No. The under-12-sq-in exemption in 101.9(j)(13)(i) lets a package skip the panel entirely if it carries no nutrition claims, in exchange for a phone number or address. A linear label is a full Nutrition Facts declaration, just formatted as a string instead of a column.
Do I still need a footnote on a linear label?
The footnote may be omitted for packages that qualify under 101.9(j)(13)(ii)(A)(1) or (A)(2); if you keep one, an abbreviated "% DV = % Daily Value" is allowed.
Which nutrient names can I abbreviate?
101.9(j)(13)(ii)(B) allows abbreviations like "Serv size," "Servings," "Sat fat," "Cholest," and "Total carb" on packages using this small-format allowance.
What if my package is 45 sq in?
You're above the 40-sq-in ceiling for tabular or linear formats, so you'd use the standard vertical (or simplified vertical) format instead, or check whether 101.9(j)(17) applies if your panels genuinely lack room.
Related formats
Tabular, Dual column: per serving / per container, Simplified, Standard vertical. See the full all label formats.