Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
Candy’s Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) depends on which of several categories in 21 CFR 101.12 a given product falls into: 30 g for “all other candies” (the catch-all that covers gummies, caramels, toffee, and brittle), 15 g for hard candies (other than breath mints), 2 g for breath mints, 15 g for baking candies like chocolate chips, 10 g for after-dinner confectioneries, and 30 g for marshmallows. A typical label statement for a bag of gummy bears reads something like “About 9 pieces (30 g).” Candy is not USDA-regulated and doesn’t get a special exemption for being sugar-based. The thing most likely to go wrong on your label is assuming every candy shares one RACC, when the category actually splits by type and by how the product is consumed. Small formats dominate candy packaging, and a Nutrition Facts panel is required on any packaged candy sold at retail unless the small-package exemption in 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(i) applies.
| Quick facts | Candy |
|---|---|
| Regulator | FDA |
| Reference amount (RACC) | All other candies 30 g; hard candies (others/powdered/liquid) 15 g; breath mints 2 g; baking candies (chips) 15 g; after-dinner confectioneries 10 g; marshmallows 30 g |
| Typical serving statement | About 9 pieces (30 g) |
| Typical label format | Tabular or linear on small bags (12–40 sq in); standard vertical on bulk bags; full panel exemption possible under 12 sq in with no claims |
| Exemption | May be exempt under 101.9(j)(13)(i) if total label surface area is under 12 sq in and no nutrition claims appear; a claim removes the exemption |
| Watch out for | Which RACC bucket your candy falls in (30 g vs 15 g vs 2 g); small bags need tabular/linear, not a shrunken vertical panel |
| Common allergens | Milk (caramel, toffee), soy lecithin, tree nuts, wheat (malt/starch), egg (nougat); sesame in halva or sesame candies |
What is the serving size for candy? The FDA serving for candy depends on the weight of one piece. See the full serving-size reference: single-serving cut-off, dual-column range, and servings per package.
Serving size: what the RACC gives candy
To turn a RACC into a label statement, convert the gram amount into pieces using your actual piece weight: if one gummy bear weighs about 3.3 g, 30 g works out to roughly 9 pieces, so the label reads “About 9 pieces (30 g).” For hard candies at 15 g, a typical 6 g piece gives “About 3 pieces (15 g).” Breath mints at 2 g might be “About 3 mints (2 g)” for a 0.6 g mint.
Single-serving and dual-column rules matter most on small candy bags. A snack-size bag containing less than 200% of the RACC (under 60 g for the 30 g category) is labeled as one serving for the whole bag under 21 CFR 101.9(b)(6). A bag between 200% and 300% of RACC (60–90 g) needs a dual-column label showing per-serving and per-container values side by side under 101.9(b)(12)(i), unless the bag is small enough to qualify for tabular or linear format instead, in which case the dual-column requirement doesn’t apply. A large stand-up bag well over 300% of RACC is simply labeled with the RACC-based serving size and a “servings per container” count, no dual column required.
What the panel must show
The full mandatory nutrient list applies: calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium, each with %DV per 21 CFR 101.9(c). For candy, added sugars is usually the whole sugar content: most candy carries little or no fiber or naturally occurring sugar to subtract out, so total sugars and added sugars often land close together, and that’s worth flagging to a customer who expects them to differ. Sodium matters for salted caramels and licorice; saturated fat matters for anything with chocolate or dairy fat. Rounding follows 101.9(c): sub-5-calorie amounts round to zero, and fat/carbohydrate values under 5 g round to the nearest 0.5 g.
Format: which layout your package qualifies for
This is where candy differs from most other product categories: small formats aren’t the exception, they’re the default. Packages with total label surface area of 40 square inches or less may use a tabular format, or a linear (string) format if the surface is under 12 square inches and a tabular display won’t fit on any panel (21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)). Packages under 12 square inches can skip the Nutrition Facts panel entirely if the label carries no nutrition claims, provided an address or phone number for nutrition information appears instead (101.9(j)(13)(i)). Standard vertical format is reserved for larger bags: party-size or bulk bags well above 40 square inches. NutriLabels’ builder renders standard vertical, tabular, linear, and dual-column (per serving/per container) formats; it does not render the aggregate format used for variety multi-packs of different candy types under one label.
Candy-specific traps
The biggest trap is misreading which RACC bucket a candy falls into. Gummies, caramels, toffee, and brittle aren’t named individually in 21 CFR 101.12’s candy entries, so they default to the 30 g “all other candies” line rather than the 15 g hard-candy line, even though a caramel can feel “hard” in the package. The second trap is small-package format: a 1-inch mint tin or fun-size bag often can’t fit a standard vertical panel at all, and forcing one onto the label at unreadable type size doesn’t satisfy the rule. Tabular or linear format, or the under-12-square-inch exemption, is what’s actually available. Claims are the third trap: printing “low sugar” or “no artificial flavors” on a candy label removes the small-package exemption and can trigger nutrient content claim thresholds that most sugar-based candy can’t meet.
Ingredient statement and allergens
Ingredients list in descending order by weight, with sub-ingredients of compound components (like a chocolate coating or fruit filling) shown in parentheses. Candy commonly carries milk (caramel, toffee, milk chocolate coatings), soy lecithin, tree nuts, wheat-based starches or malt, and egg in nougat. Each major allergen present needs a plain-English “Contains” statement under FALCPA, and sesame (halva, sesame brittle, tahini-based candies) has been the ninth major allergen since the FASTER Act took effect in 2023.
Build the label
The right RACC bucket and a format that fits your bag mean a label that reads cleanly at the size you actually print. Enter your recipe, then see your label: your calories, 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 candy package qualifies for (including the small-package tabular and linear layouts most candy actually needs), plus the ingredient statement and allergen declaration, with 12 months of edits included and downloads that never expire. Start your label, or compare other categories on the product labels hub.
Candy label FAQ
What's the RACC for gummy candy: is it hard candy or "all other candies"?
Gummies aren't named as their own line item in 21 CFR 101.12's candy category, so they fall into the catch-all "all other candies" bucket at 30 g, the same as caramels, toffee, and brittle.
Why is my breath mint bag's serving size so small?
Breath mints get their own RACC line at 2 g, separate from hard candies (15 g) and all other candies (30 g), because they're consumed a piece or two at a time (21 CFR 101.12).
Can a small candy bag skip the Nutrition Facts panel entirely?
Only if total label surface area is under 12 square inches and the label carries no nutrition claims; the package still needs an address or phone number for nutrition information (21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(i)).
Do baking chips use a different RACC than eating candy?
Yes. Baking candies like chocolate chips use 15 g, half the 30 g reference amount for candy meant to be eaten as-is, per the verified 101.12 table.
What format does a standard fun-size or snack bag of candy use?
Bags with 40 square inches or less of labeling surface can use tabular format, or linear format if under 12 square inches and a tabular display won't fit (21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(ii)).
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