Tabular Dual Column Display: FDA Nutrition Facts format
Per serving and per container, table format. 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 Tabular Dual Column Display
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 Tabular Dual Column Display format: Per serving and per container, table format. 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 to use the tabular dual-column Nutrition Facts label
The tabular dual-column label combines two FDA rules that are both in force. The first decides whether two columns are needed: dual-column labeling is mandatory under 21 CFR 101.9(b)(12)(i) for a product packaged and sold individually that contains at least 200 percent and up to and including 300 percent of its Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC), and under 21 CFR 101.9(b)(2)(i)(D) for a discrete unit in the same range, unless an exception applies.
The second decides the shape. Under 21 CFR 101.9(d)(11)(iii), a tabular layout may be used when the package does not have enough continuous vertical space, about 3 inches, to fit the required information through the potassium declaration.
When both apply, the tabular dual-column format shown in 21 CFR 101.9(e)(6)(ii) is the layout to use. It is also available, on a voluntary basis, for dual columns a manufacturer chooses to add, such as the extra household-measure column allowed under 21 CFR 101.9(b)(6) for single-serving packages holding more than 150 percent but less than 200 percent of the RACC.
Layout of the FDA tabular dual-column format
The tabular dual-column panel places the heading, servings, serving size and calories in a block on the left, then runs the nutrients across the panel with two sets of figures side by side. Each column must carry a heading that says what it represents, such as "Per serving" and "Per container", or "Per serving" and "Per unit", which is mandatory.
For every required nutrient, both columns must show the quantitative amount and the percent Daily Value. The columns are separated by vertical lines, and the vitamins and minerals are set off from the other nutrients by a bar, in the required order.
Some text can be left out to save space. The subheading "Amount per serving" is not required in the dual-column formats in 21 CFR 101.9(e)(5), (e)(6)(i) and (e)(6)(ii), and the voluntary abbreviations "Total carb." and "Incl." may be used on dual-column displays.
Source: FDA, Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, Small Entity Compliance Guide, and 21 CFR 101.9(d), eCFR.
Type size rules for the 21 CFR 101.9 tabular dual-column label
The mandatory type size minimums for the tabular dual-column format follow the tabular rules, not the vertical ones:
- the word "Calories" at least 10 point, in bold or extra bold;
- the calorie numbers at least 22 point, in bold or extra bold;
- "Serving size" at least 9 point, in bold or extra bold; and
- servings per container at least 10 point.
Nutrient information must be at least 8 point, and headings and footnote text at least 6 point. The 14 point calorie number allowed on small-package tabular and linear labels does not apply here.
Tabular dual-column versus other FDA formats
Compared with the standard vertical dual-column panel in 21 CFR 101.9(e)(6)(i), the tabular version carries the same two sets of values but arranges them horizontally, with a smaller minimum for the word "Calories" (10 point instead of 16 point) and for serving size (9 point instead of 10 point).
Very small packages may not need dual columns at all. The mandatory dual-column rule has an in-force exception for packages with less than 12 square inches available for labeling, and for packages of 40 square inches or less whose shape or size cannot fit a vertical or tabular panel on any label panel, provided they meet the small-package format conditions in 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13). Those packages then use the single-column small-package tabular or linear format.
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. If the label makes representations in another language, the required information, including both nutrition columns, must also appear in that language.
Source: 21 CFR 101.9 and 21 CFR 101.15, eCFR.
Sources
Primary documents this page was written from, checked 2026-10-03.
- 21 CFR 101.9, Nutrition labeling of food (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 101.15, Food; prominence of required statements (eCFR)
- FDA, Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, Small Entity Compliance Guide
- FDA, Guidance for Industry: Serving Sizes, RACCs, Serving Size-Related Issues, Dual-Column Labeling, and Miscellaneous Topics
- FDA, Examples of Different Label Formats Using the New Nutrition Facts Label
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
Related formats
Free tools for this label
All 51 free tools, no signup required.
How to generate one
- Open the generator: free account, no credit card
- Pick "Tabular Dual Column Display" from the format rail
- Enter your ingredients (search USDA FoodData Central or add a custom ingredient)
- The label renders live; export in one click