FDA Nutrition Label Generator
Make a Nutrition Facts label in the current FDA format, free. The generator uses the 2016-rule layout from 21 CFR 101.9, applies FDA rounding to every number and calculates %Daily Value for you. This page explains the rules it follows, which formats FDA allows when, and what you still have to check yourself.
Not legal advice and not affiliated with FDA. The tool formats the values you enter; it can’t confirm they are accurate or that your label meets every requirement for your product.
What the generator supports
- The current label. Layout from FDA’s May 27, 2016 final rule (81 FR 33742): large Calories line, bold serving size, Added Sugars with %DV, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium with amounts and %DV, and the 2,000-calorie footnote.
- FDA rounding for calories, fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, sugars and protein, from 21 CFR 101.9(c).
- %Daily Value against the current adult Daily Values, with FDA’s 2/5/10% steps for vitamins and minerals.
- Five formats: standard vertical, tabular, linear, dual column and aggregate.
- Data entry helpers: USDA FoodData Central search and an AI recipe estimate. Both give estimates, not lab values.
- Export as PNG (2x) or print-quality PDF, with no signup and no watermark.
The 2016 label and the 2020 deadline
FDA published the updated Nutrition Facts label on May 27, 2016. After a 2018 extension, manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales had to use it by January 1, 2020, and smaller manufacturers by January 1, 2021. That is why people call it the “2016 label” and the “2020 label”: they are the same format.
Compared with the old label, the current one:
- prints Calories and the serving size in larger, bolder type;
- adds “Includes X g Added Sugars” with a %DV;
- drops “Calories from Fat”;
- requires vitamin D and potassium, and makes vitamins A and C optional;
- lists the actual amount, not just the %DV, for vitamins and minerals;
- uses updated Daily Values (for example sodium 2,300 mg, fiber 28 g).
Sources: Federal Register, 2016 final rule · FDA, compliance date extension · FDA, industry resources on the new label
FDA rounding rules the generator applies
You enter the amount per serving; the label shows the rounded figure FDA requires. These are the increments from 21 CFR 101.9(c):
| Nutrient | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | Under 5 → 0. Up to 50 → nearest 5. Above 50 → nearest 10. | 47 → 45 |
| Total fat, saturated fat, trans fat | Under 0.5 g → 0 g. Under 5 g → nearest 0.5 g. 5 g and up → nearest 1 g. | 4.3 g → 4.5 g |
| Cholesterol | Under 2 mg → 0 mg. 2–5 mg → "less than 5 mg". Above 5 mg → nearest 5 mg. | 3 mg → <5 mg |
| Sodium | Under 5 mg → 0 mg. 5–140 mg → nearest 5 mg. Above 140 mg → nearest 10 mg. | 163 mg → 160 mg |
| Total carbohydrate, fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein | Under 0.5 g → 0 g. Under 1 g → "less than 1 g". 1 g and up → nearest 1 g. | 0.7 g → <1 g |
| %DV (fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, added sugars …) | Nearest 1%. FDA lets you divide either the declared or the unrounded amount by the Daily Value; this tool uses the unrounded amount. | 163 / 2300 → 7% |
| %DV (vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium) | Nearest 2% up to 10%, nearest 5% from 10% to 50%, nearest 10% above 50%. Under 2% may be shown as 0%. | 20.2% → 20% |
Vitamin and mineral amounts are shown in mcg or mg (vitamin D to 0.1 mcg, iron to 0.1 mg, calcium and potassium to 10 mg). FDA’s guidance on declaring these amounts has more detail for edge cases, so check it if a value sits on a boundary.
Sources: 21 CFR 101.9(c), (d)(7) · FDA Food Labeling Guide, Appendix H
Daily Values used for %DV
Adults and children 4 years and older:
| 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 |
Standard, tabular, linear, dual-column and aggregate formats
FDA expects the standard vertical panel unless the package can’t hold it. Here is when each alternative is allowed and what the generator does:
| Format | When FDA allows it | In this tool |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (vertical) | The default Nutrition Facts panel in 21 CFR 101.9(d). Use it whenever the package has room. | Supported. This is the format the generator opens with. |
| Tabular (side-by-side) | Allowed when the package shape or size cannot fit the vertical panel, under 101.9(d)(11). A separate small-package tabular layout exists for packages with 40 sq in or less of label space. | Supported (the standard tabular layout). |
| Linear (paragraph) | Only for packages with less than 40 square inches available for labeling that cannot fit the tabular display, under 101.9(j)(13). | Supported. |
| Dual column | Required for most packages that hold at least 200% and up to 300% of the reference amount (RACC), with per-serving and per-package columns, under 101.9(b)(12). Some products are exempt; it is optional for larger packages. | Supported. The per-package column multiplies by servings per container. |
| Aggregate | For packages with two or more different foods, such as variety packs, under 101.9(d)(13)(ii). Each food gets its own columns. | Supported. |
Not supported yet
- The simplified format in 101.9(f), for foods where most required nutrients are present only in insignificant amounts.
- Labels for infants (through 12 months) and children 1–3 years, which use different Daily Values.
- Supplement Facts panels for dietary supplements (21 CFR 101.36).
- Voluntary nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C or polyunsaturated fat, and bilingual panels.
- Calculating the serving size for you. You choose it from the RACC tables in 21 CFR 101.12.
Sources: 21 CFR 101.9(b), (d), (f), (j) · FDA, label format examples
Serving size rules
- Serving size is what people actually eat, not what you recommend. It is based on the Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACC) for your product category in 21 CFR 101.12. FDA updated a number of RACCs in 2016, so older serving sizes may no longer apply.
- Write it as a household measure plus the metric amount, for example “1 cup (240mL)” or “2/3 cup (55g)”.
- Single-serving packages: a package holding less than 200% of the RACC is generally labeled as one serving.
- Dual-column packages: 200% up to 300% of the RACC usually needs per serving and per package columns (see formats above).
- Servings per container is rounded too: to the nearest whole number, except between 2 and 5 servings (and random-weight products), which round to the nearest 0.5. Use “about” when the number is rounded, as in “about 3.5 servings”.
In the generator, type the serving size exactly as it should print, and set servings per container. The dual-column format uses servings per container to calculate the per-package column.
Sources: 21 CFR 101.12 · 21 CFR 101.9(b) · FDA, serving size and dual-column guidance
FDA label questions
Is a label from this FDA nutrition label generator "FDA approved"?
Which version of the Nutrition Facts label does it make?
Do I need a lab test?
Does every food need a Nutrition Facts label?
More background in our guide to FDA nutrition facts label requirements, or go back to the free nutrition label generator home page.
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