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Standard Vertical Label: FDA Nutrition Facts format

Most common vertical 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 September 16, 2026

Jurisdiction
United States (FDA-regulated packaged food)
Regulation
21 CFR § 101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food)
Effective
Current; 2016 rule (81 FR 33742) fully in force since Jan 1, 2021
Official source
www.ecfr.gov
Generate this labelUS FDA requirements guide

Nutrition labelling requirements for Standard Vertical Label

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 Standard Vertical Label format: Most common vertical 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. NFL 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

Citation
21 CFR § 101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food)
Effective
Current; 2016 rule (81 FR 33742) fully in force since Jan 1, 2021
Scope
United States (FDA-regulated packaged food)
Source

Key facts

Mandatory vitamins
Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Potassium (since 2016 rule)
Daily Values basis
2,000 kcal reference diet
Font requirement
Franklin Gothic Heavy or Helvetica Bold for "Nutrition Facts" title
Added sugars
Mandatory declaration since Jan 2020 (large) / Jan 2021 (small)

Rounding + threshold rules (sample)

  • Calories < 5 → declare "0"; 5–50 → nearest 5 kcal; > 50 → nearest 10 kcal
  • Total fat < 0.5 g → "0"; 0.5–5 g → nearest 0.5 g; > 5 g → nearest 1 g
  • Sodium < 5 mg → "0"; 5–140 mg → nearest 5 mg; > 140 mg → nearest 10 mg

What 21 CFR 101.9(c) requires on the panel, and in what order

Paragraph (c) is a closed list: only the nutrients it names may appear inside the box, in its names and order. The mandatory rows run Calories, Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Total Carbohydrate, Dietary Fiber, Total Sugars, Added Sugars, Protein, then Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron and Potassium.

  • Added sugars is written as a phrase, Includes X g Added Sugars, indented under Total Sugars.
  • Voluntary rows include poly- and monounsaturated fat, soluble and insoluble fiber, sugar alcohol and the other vitamins and minerals in (c)(8)(iv). A claim about a nutrient, or adding a vitamin or mineral as a supplement, makes its row mandatory.
  • Where a mandatory row may be dropped (saturated and trans fat on a food with under 0.5 g total fat and no fat claims, for example), Not a significant source of ... goes at the bottom of the table.
  • Vitamin and mineral percentages round to the nearest 2 percent up to 10 percent, nearest 5 percent up to 50 percent, and nearest 10 percent above that.

Other percent Daily Values are given to the nearest whole percent, from either the rounded label value or the unrounded analytical value; see how to calculate percent Daily Value.

Source: 21 CFR 101.9(c)(1) to (c)(9), eCFR.

Type size, bolding and the footnote under 101.9(d)

Paragraph (d) fixes the look of the vertical panel: a box drawn with hairlines, black or one color on a neutral background, a single type style in upper and lower case, at least one point of leading, and a hairline between every nutrient row. Minimum sizes in (d)(1)(iii) and (d)(3):

  • The word Calories: bold, at least 16 point. The calorie number: bold, at least 22 point (10 and 14 point in the small-package tabular and linear displays).
  • Servings per container: at least 10 point. Serving size: bold, at least 10 point, 9 point in tabular displays, 8 point if it will not otherwise fit.
  • Nutrient names, amounts and percent Daily Values: at least 8 point with four points of leading.
  • Amount per serving, the % Daily Value heading and the footnote: at least 6 point.

Only the headings, the un-indented nutrient names and the percent Daily Value figures may be bold; reverse printing is not highlighting. The footnote must read exactly: *The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Foods for children 1 through 3 substitute 1,000 calories. With less than about 3 inches of continuous vertical space, (d)(11)(iii) permits the tabular display.

Source: 21 CFR 101.9(d)(1) to (d)(14), eCFR.

Serving size, RACC and dual columns: 101.9(b) and 101.12

A serving is the amount customarily eaten at one sitting by people aged 4 and over, stated in a household measure with the metric weight in parentheses. It is derived, not chosen, from the Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) for the product category in 21 CFR 101.12(b), set from national consumption surveys. Illustrative RACCs: cookies 30 g, yogurt 170 g, ice cream 2/3 cup, carbonated beverages 360 mL.

Section 101.9(b)(2) converts the RACC into a serving. For discrete units the unit weight decides:

  • 50 percent or less of the RACC: the number of whole units closest to the RACC.
  • Over 50 but under 67 percent: one or two units, manufacturer's choice.
  • 67 percent to under 200 percent: one unit.
  • 200 to 300 percent: the amount closest to the RACC, plus a required second column per unit.

The same thresholds govern containers. A package sold individually holding less than 200 percent of the RACC is a single-serving container and the whole package is one serving; between 150 and 200 percent a voluntary per-RACC column may be added. A package holding 200 to 300 percent must carry the per-serving and per-package dual column unless one of the (b)(12)(i) exceptions applies, such as the small-package tabular or linear formats. Servings per container between 2 and 5 round to the nearest half, with the word about. See the RACC guide.

Source: 21 CFR 101.9(b)(1) to (b)(12), eCFR; 21 CFR 101.12(a), (b), (f), eCFR.

Class I and Class II tolerances in 101.9(g)

FDA tests a composite of 12 consumer units, one from each of 12 randomly chosen shipping cases in a lot, by AOAC methods. Whether it passes depends on the nutrient's class and the direction of the error:

  • Class I: vitamins, minerals, protein or dietary fiber added to a fortified or fabricated food must test at 100 percent or more of the declared value.
  • Class II: naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, protein, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber and unsaturated fats must test at 80 percent or more.
  • Calories, total sugars, added sugars (when they are the only sugars), total, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium may not exceed the declared value by more than 20 percent.

Deviations within the recognized variability of the method are ignored, and reasonable excesses of the first group or shortfalls of the second are acceptable within good manufacturing practice. A firm may rely on an FDA-approved database instead of analysis. A food outside the limits is misbranded under section 403(a) of the Act. Since the 2016 rule, (g)(10) and (g)(11) also require written records, kept at least 2 years, supporting added sugars declarations where natural and added sugars are mixed or fermentation reduces them.

Source: 21 CFR 101.9(g)(1) to (g)(11), eCFR.

Exemptions in 101.9(j) and the 2016 rule's compliance dates

Paragraph (j) lists foods that need no panel, on condition that the label makes no nutrient content claim and gives no other nutrition information:

  • Small retailers, (j)(1): direct sellers with annual gross sales of not more than $500,000, or food sales to consumers of not more than $50,000, on a 2-year average.
  • Low-volume products, (j)(18): exempt for 12 months if the firm and its affiliates averaged fewer than 100 full-time equivalent employees and sold fewer than 100,000 units of the product in the United States in the prior 12 months. A notice must be filed with FDA before the period begins, except for non-importers with fewer than 10 employees and under 10,000 units.
  • Small packages, (j)(13): under 12 square inches of labeling surface the panel may be omitted if the label gives an address or phone number for nutrition information. At 40 square inches or less the tabular or linear display, abbreviations such as Sat fat and Total carb, and any label panel may be used.
  • Insignificant nutrients, (j)(4): coffee beans, tea leaves, flavor extracts and food colors.

The current panel comes from the final rule of May 27, 2016 (81 FR 33742), effective July 26, 2016. Compliance was required by January 1, 2020 for manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales and January 1, 2021 for smaller ones; most single-ingredient sugars such as honey had until July 1, 2021. Build a US label in the generator.

Source: 21 CFR 101.9(j), eCFR; 81 FR 33742, May 27, 2016; FDA, Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label.

How NFL 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

Worked examples with real foods

See the FDA Nutrition Facts panel filled in with real USDA values: egg nutrition label, chicken breast nutrition label, avocado nutrition label, bacon nutrition label, milk nutrition label, banana nutrition label, peanut butter nutrition label, ground beef nutrition label, salmon nutrition label, Greek yogurt nutrition label. Every food page renders the same serving as a US, Canadian, EU and UK label and offers the FDA panel as a PNG or SVG download. Browse all foods →

Common questions

What nutrients are required on a Nutrition Facts label under 21 CFR 101.9?
Fifteen items are mandatory: Calories, Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Total Carbohydrate, Dietary Fiber, Total Sugars, Added Sugars, Protein, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron and Potassium, declared in that order. Vitamins A and C and the other vitamins and minerals are voluntary unless they are added to the food or a claim is made about them; calories from fat is no longer permitted on the panel. If a mandatory row is omitted under one of the exceptions in 101.9(c), the panel must say Not a significant source of that nutrient.
What font size does the FDA require for Calories and serving size?
On the standard vertical panel the word Calories must be bold and at least 16 point and the calorie number bold and at least 22 point. Servings per container must be at least 10 point and Serving size bold and at least 10 point. Nutrient rows must be at least 8 point and the footnote and column headings at least 6 point. The small-package tabular and linear displays allow smaller sizes, down to 10 point for the word Calories and 14 point for the number.
How do I work out the serving size for my product under FDA rules?
Find your product category in the RACC tables at 21 CFR 101.12(b), then convert that reference amount to a household measure using 21 CFR 101.9(b). For discrete units, a unit that is 67 percent to under 200 percent of the RACC is one serving; smaller units are declared as the number of units closest to the RACC. The metric weight in parentheses is required, and servings per container between 2 and 5 are rounded to the nearest half with the word about.
When does a US Nutrition Facts label need dual columns?
A package sold individually that contains 200 percent to 300 percent of the reference amount must show one column per serving and a second column for the whole package under 101.9(b)(12). A discrete unit weighing 200 to 300 percent of the RACC needs a per-serving column and a per-unit column under 101.9(b)(2)(i)(D). A package under 200 percent of the RACC is a single serving and needs one column only, although between 150 and 200 percent an extra per-RACC column may be added voluntarily.
What is the FDA tolerance for nutrition label accuracy?
Under 21 CFR 101.9(g), added (Class I) vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber must test at 100 percent or more of the declared amount, and naturally occurring (Class II) nutrients of those kinds plus carbohydrate and unsaturated fats must test at 80 percent or more. Calories, sugars, added sugars, total, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium may not exceed the label value by more than 20 percent. Testing is done on a composite of 12 units from 12 shipping cases, and method variability is allowed for.
Is my small food business exempt from the Nutrition Facts label?
Possibly. Under 21 CFR 101.9(j)(18) a product is exempt for a year if your company and affiliates had fewer than 100 full-time equivalent employees and sold fewer than 100,000 units of that product in the United States in the previous 12 months, and you file a notice with FDA before the period starts (no notice is needed below 10 employees and 10,000 units). Retailers selling directly to consumers with no more than $500,000 in total sales or $50,000 in food sales are exempt under (j)(1). Any nutrient content or health claim on the label cancels the exemption.
Do small packages have to carry a full Nutrition Facts panel?
Packages with less than 12 square inches of surface available for labeling may omit the panel if they carry no nutrition claims and print an address or telephone number where a consumer can obtain the information. Packages with 40 square inches or less may use the tabular or linear format, standard abbreviations such as Serv size and Total carb, and may place the panel on any label panel. These options are in 21 CFR 101.9(j)(13).
What changed on the Nutrition Facts label in the 2016 FDA rule and when did it apply?
The 2016 final rule added a mandatory Added Sugars row, made vitamin D and potassium mandatory while making vitamins A and C voluntary, removed calories from fat, enlarged and bolded the Calories, servings per container and serving size type, updated Daily Values and serving sizes, and introduced dual-column labeling for larger packages. Compliance was required by January 1, 2020 for manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales and January 1, 2021 for smaller ones, with single-ingredient sugars given until July 1, 2021.
🇨🇦 Canada - Product Facts (NHP)
Natural Health Products Product Facts table - SOR/2003-196 (2022 amendments)
🇺🇸 US - Supplement Facts (Adult)
FDA Adult Supplement Facts panel - 21 CFR § 101.36 with proprietary blend support
🇺🇸 US - Supplement Facts (Children 1-3)
Child DV table per 21 CFR § 101.9(c)(8)(iv)
🇺🇸 US - Supplement Facts (Infants <12 months)
Infant DV table per 21 CFR § 101.9(c)(8)(v)
🇺🇸 US - Supplement Facts (Pregnant)
Pregnant-woman DV table per 21 CFR § 101.9(c)(8)(vi)
🇺🇸 US - Supplement Facts (Lactating)
Lactating-woman DV table per 21 CFR § 101.9(c)(8)(vi)
🇺🇸 US - Supplement Facts (Children & Adults)
Dual %DV columns - children 1-3 and adults 4+, FDA media/99158 ex. (ii)
All 152 formats
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