FDA Nutrition Facts label rules (21 CFR 101.9) for small food businesses

Short answer: A US Nutrition Facts label is declared per serving, not per 100 g. It lists calories, fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, total and added sugars, protein, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium with % Daily Values (21 CFR 101.9). Serving sizes must follow the RACC table in 21 CFR 101.12, and some small businesses are exempt.

By the Free Nutrition Label team · Last reviewed: 27 Oct 2026 · Not legal advice.

The US panel is very different from the EU table: it is per serving, uses Daily Values (DV) and declares sodium rather than salt.

Serving size

Serving sizes must be based on the RACC tables in 21 CFR 101.12. For example, cookies have a RACC of 30 g; jams 1 tbsp (20 g). Enter your serving size in the "Portion" field.

Daily values used here

Total fat 78 g, saturated fat 20 g, cholesterol 300 mg, sodium 2 300 mg, total carbohydrate 275 g, dietary fiber 28 g, added sugars 50 g, protein 50 g, vitamin D 20 mcg, calcium 1 300 mg, iron 18 mg, potassium 4 700 mg (21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)–(9)).

Added sugars

Tick "added sugar" for sugars, syrups and honey you add. Sugars naturally present in fruit, milk or vegetables are not added sugars.

Allergens

Under FALCPA and the FASTER Act the nine major allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Declare them in a "Contains:" statement or in the ingredient list.

Fonts and layout

21 CFR 101.9(d) specifies the layout, including "Nutrition Facts" in the largest type and calories in at least 16 pt for the standard format. Our SVG keeps the proportions; check final size on your packaging.

Sources

• 21 CFR 101.9 Nutrition labeling of food (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 101.12 Reference amounts (eCFR)
• FDA – Food allergies: what you need to know

FAQ

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