Dual Columns, Two Forms: FDA Nutrition Facts format
Separate inputs for each column. An FDA Nutrition Facts layout under 21 CFR 101.9, generated free with correct rounding and Daily Values.
Reviewed against 21 CFR 101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food) · Page updated November 4, 2026
Nutrition labelling requirements for Dual Columns, Two Forms
Packaged food sold in the United States must carry a nutrition declaration under 21 CFR 101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food). This page covers the Dual Columns, Two Forms format: Separate inputs for each column. A compliant nutrition label declares 15 mandatory nutrients: calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, vitamin d, calcium, iron and potassium. Values are declared per serving, with serving sizes set by the racc tables in 21 cfr 101.12, with energy in kcal, and sodium rather than salt. The panel is headed "Nutrition Facts". English is required on pack. There is no mandatory front-of-pack warning scheme. NutritionFactLabel builds a print-ready nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for the United States automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.
Official regulation
Key facts
FDA rounding rules under 21 CFR 101.9(c), and how this generator applies them
Every value on a US Nutrition Facts label is rounded before it is printed, and each nutrient has its own increments. The examples below are produced by this generator's own rounding code, so you can check its output against the rule.
| Nutrient | Rule | Generator output |
|---|---|---|
| Calories 21 CFR 101.9(c)(1) | Under 5 Calories: may be declared as 0. 5 to 50: nearest 5. Above 50: nearest 10. | 4.9 → 0 47 → 45 52 → 50 137 → 140 |
| Total fat, saturated fat, trans fat 21 CFR 101.9(c)(2) | Under 0.5 g: 0. Under 5 g: nearest 0.5 g. 5 g and above: nearest 1 g. | 0.4 g → 0 g 2.3 g → 2.5 g 4.8 g → 5 g 7.6 g → 8 g |
| Cholesterol 21 CFR 101.9(c)(3) | Under 2 mg: 0. 2 to 5 mg: "less than 5 mg". Above 5 mg: nearest 5 mg. | 1.5 mg → 0 mg 3 mg → "less than 5 mg" 23 mg → 25 mg |
| Sodium 21 CFR 101.9(c)(4) | Under 5 mg: 0. 5 to 140 mg: nearest 5 mg. Above 140 mg: nearest 10 mg. | 4 mg → 0 mg 72 mg → 70 mg 143 mg → 140 mg 1236 mg → 1240 mg |
| Total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6) | Under 0.5 g: 0. Under 1 g: "less than 1 g" (or 0). 1 g and above: nearest 1 g. | 0.3 g → 0 g 0.7 g → "less than 1 g" 12.6 g → 13 g |
| Protein 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7) | Under 0.5 g: 0. Under 1 g: "less than 1 g" (or 0). 1 g and above: nearest 1 g. | 0.3 g → 0 g 0.7 g → "less than 1 g" 8.5 g → 9 g |
| % Daily Value, vitamins and minerals 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iii) | Under 2% of the DV: may be declared as 0. Up to 10%: nearest 2%. Above 10% up to 50%: nearest 5%. Above 50%: nearest 10%. | 1.5% → 0% 6.6% → 6% 23% → 25% 57% → 60% |
%Daily Value for fat, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, added sugars and protein is shown to the nearest whole percent, as on FDA's published sample label.
Source: 21 CFR 101.9(c), eCFR. Supplement Facts panels follow 21 CFR 101.36 instead.
When a dual column nutrition label as packaged and as prepared can be used
FDA's rule in 21 CFR 101.9(e), in force, lets a manufacturer voluntarily show nutrition information for two or more forms of the same food, such as "as purchased" and "as prepared". The mandatory baseline stays the food as packaged, under 21 CFR 101.9(b)(9).
For foods commonly combined with other ingredients, or cooked or otherwise prepared before eating, 21 CFR 101.9(h)(4) voluntarily allows an extra column for the food as consumed, provided directions for the combination or preparation are on the label. The regulation's own examples are dry cereal shown as sold and with milk, and a cake mix shown as dry mix and as the baked cake.
When that extra column is used, it is mandatory to state prominently the type and quantity of the ingredients the consumer adds and the preparation method. The second column has to describe a defined prepared form, not any hypothetical serving.
What 21 CFR 101.9(e) requires for the two-form display
Once the voluntary two-form display is chosen, its layout rules are mandatory:
- both sets of values must have equal prominence;
- after the serving size information, each column needs a heading that accurately describes the form, such as "Per 1/4 cup mix" and "Per prepared portion";
- each column must give the quantitative amount by weight and the percent Daily Value for every required nutrient;
- the columns must be separated by vertical lines; and
- vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium are set off from the other nutrients by a bar, in that order.
The "Amount per serving" subheading used on a single-column panel is not required on this dual-column format.
Source: 21 CFR 101.9(d) and (e), eCFR.
Type size and layout rules for the as prepared column
Apart from the dual-column changes in paragraph (e), the general format rules in 21 CFR 101.9(d) remain mandatory. The panel must be boxed with hairlines and use one easy-to-read type style with upper and lower case letters and the prescribed highlighting.
On the vertical version, the mandatory minimums are the standard ones: "Calories" at least 16 point and the calorie numbers at least 22 point, both bold or extra bold; "Serving size" at least 10 point in bold or extra bold, with a reduced size allowed under 21 CFR 101.9(d)(3)(ii) when the declaration does not fit; servings per container at least 10 point; and nutrient information at least 8 point.
FDA's format examples include this layout as "Dual Columns, Two Forms of the Same Food", which is a useful reference when setting up artwork.
Source: 21 CFR 101.9(d), eCFR, and FDA, Examples of Different Label Formats.
How the two-form label differs from other FDA formats
The two-form display is voluntary. It is a different thing from the mandatory per-serving and per-container dual columns that 21 CFR 101.9(b)(12) requires for packages holding 200 to 300 percent of the RACC. In fact, 21 CFR 101.9(b)(12)(i)(C) excepts from that mandatory rule products that need further preparation, or are commonly eaten with another food, when they carry the additional column under paragraph (e).
Compared with the standard vertical label, the two-form panel shows parallel values for two states of the same product, with descriptive column headings and vertical rules between the columns.
English is mandatory for required label information under 21 CFR 101.15(c), except for products distributed solely in Puerto Rico or another US territory where another language predominates. When the label also uses another language, all required information must appear in that language too, and 21 CFR 101.9(d)(14) allows either separate nutrition panels per language or one panel with the second language following the English.
Source: 21 CFR 101.9 and 21 CFR 101.15, eCFR.
Sources
Primary documents this page was written from, checked 2026-10-03.
How NutritionFactLabel handles it
- Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
- Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
- Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
- Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
- Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS
Deep dives
Common questions
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- Open the generator: free account, no credit card
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