These are the rules a Nutrition Facts label has to follow, one page each, with the numbers, the paragraph of 21 CFR that sets them, and a worked example on a real product. No legal advice, just what the regulation says and how it plays out on the panel.
24 rules explained. Each page cites the current eCFR text and notes when it was last checked.
Find the rule
| Rule | Applies to | Key numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Added Sugars | Any packaged food with a Nutrition Facts panel that contains sugar added during processing | Added sugars DV: 50g; declared to the nearest gram; indented under Total Sugars |
| Allergen "Contains" statement | Any packaged food containing milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, or sesame | 9 major allergens; 2 compliant disclosure methods; sesame added 2023 |
| Calories declaration | The "Calories" line on any Nutrition Facts label | <5 cal → 0; ≤50 cal → nearest 5; >50 cal → nearest 10. Min type: 16 pt (10 pt tabular). |
| Database vs Lab Analysis | Any manufacturer deciding how to determine the nutrient values it puts on a Nutrition Facts panel | Class I nutrients: ≥100% of declared; Class II: ≥80% of declared; calories/sugars/fat/sat fat/cholesterol/sodium: ≤120% of declared |
| Dietary Fiber | Any packaged food with a Nutrition Facts panel that contains fiber | Dietary fiber DV: 28g; declared to the nearest gram; only FDA-recognized isolated fibers count |
| When is dual column required? | Packaged foods sold as a single unit containing more than one RACC | 150–200% RACC: optional column. 200–300% RACC: mandatory dual column. Over 300%: multi-serving package. |
| %DV footnote text | Any packaged food carrying a standard or tabular Nutrition Facts panel | Footnote text is fixed by regulation; 2,000 calories (or 1,000 for children 1-3); omittable under 40 sq in (j)(13)(ii) |
| Health claims | Any food label that states or implies a relationship between a nutrient or food and a disease or health condition | Disqualifying levels: fat 13g, sat fat 4g, cholesterol 60mg, sodium 480mg per RACC/serving |
| Ingredient statement (descending order) | Any packaged food's ingredient list under FDA jurisdiction | 2% threshold for grouping; 1/16 inch minimum type size; descending order by weight |
| Common Label Mistakes | Any packaged food label carrying a Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient/allergen statements | 2016 format compliance: Jan 1, 2020 (≥$10M sales) / Jan 1, 2021 (smaller); sesame required since Jan 1, 2023 |
| Net quantity statement | The net quantity of contents statement on any packaged food's principal display panel | Bottom 30% placement; type size 1/16 in to 1/2 in by PDP area; metric optional under 101.7(p) but called for by the FPLA |
| Nutrient content claims | Any label carrying low, free, reduced, light, good source, or high claims | Low sodium ≤140mg/RACC; sodium free <5mg; fat free <0.5g; sugar free <0.5g; good source 10–19%DV; high ≥20%DV |
| Percent Daily Value (%DV) | Any packaged food required to carry a Nutrition Facts panel | Fat DV 78g; sodium DV 2,300mg; fiber DV 28g; added sugars DV 50g; %DV rounds to nearest whole percent |
| PDP & information panel | Any food label choosing what goes on the front vs. side/back panel | PDP area: rectangular = h×w; cylinder = 40% of h×circumference; other = 40% of surface |
| Rounding rules | Every quantitative nutrient value and %DV printed on a Nutrition Facts label | Calories: <5 → 0; ≤50 → nearest 5; >50 → nearest 10. Sodium: <5mg → 0; 5–140mg → nearest 5; >140mg → nearest 10. %DV: ≤10% → nearest 2%; 10–50% → nearest 5%; >50% → nearest 10%. |
| Serving size rules | Any packaged food required to bear a Nutrition Facts label | Discrete units: ≤50% RACC → nearest whole-unit count; 67%–<200% → 1 unit. Single-serving: <200% of RACC = 1 serving. Servings 2–5 round to nearest 0.5. |
| Small business exemption | Small manufacturers deciding if a product can skip the Nutrition Facts panel | Under 100 FTE & 100,000 units/yr: file annual notice. Under 10 FTE & 10,000 units: no notice needed |
| Sugar alcohols | Foods containing erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, or other sugar alcohols | Erythritol 0 kcal/g; xylitol 2.4; maltitol 2.1; sorbitol 2.6; isomalt & lactitol 2.0; mannitol 1.6 |
| Trans fat | Any packaged food required to carry a Nutrition Facts label with fat content | Below 0.5g per serving rounds to 0g; no %DV required; PHO compliance dates June 18, 2018 and January 1, 2021 |
| Type size and placement | Any packaged food carrying a standard Nutrition Facts panel | Calories number: 22 pt min; Calories word: 16 pt min; Serving size: 10 pt min bold; other required text: 8 pt min; small-package floor: 6 pt |
| USDA vs FDA Jurisdiction | Any product containing meat, poultry, egg products, or alcohol, deciding which federal agency's labeling rules govern it | FSIS jurisdiction threshold: roughly 3% raw meat / 2% cooked meat or poultry; TTB jurisdiction: beverages ≥0.5% ABV |
| Mandatory vitamins/minerals | Any packaged food required to carry a Nutrition Facts label | Mandatory: vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium. Adult RDIs: 20 mcg, 1,300 mg, 18 mg, 4,700 mg |
| What is a RACC? | Any packaged food required to bear a Nutrition Facts label | Table 1: infant (<12 mo) and child (1–3 yr) foods. Table 2: everyone else, 4+ categories by weight/volume. RACC converts to label serving size per 101.9(b). |
| Nutrition labeling requirement | Anyone packaging food for sale, including cottage-food makers going wholesale | Retailer: ≤$500k/≤$50k sales; small business: <100 FTE & <100,000 units/yr; packages <12 sq in |
Where these rules come from
Nutrition labeling lives in 21 CFR part 101: section 101.9 sets the panel itself (nutrients, rounding, formats, exemptions), 101.12 sets the reference amounts behind serving sizes, 101.4 the ingredient statement, 101.7 the net quantity, and 101.13 through 101.83 the claims. Allergen labeling comes from the FALCPA and FASTER Acts. Meat and poultry products follow the USDA equivalents in 9 CFR. The pages above quote the current eCFR text and link to it.
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