Nutrition Facts Panel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that nutrition facts including ingredients, percentage of daily values, and serving sizes are placed on labels of most food products. Meat and poultry, regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are not required to bear a Nutrition Facts panel. Nutritional labeling for fish and raw produce is voluntary as long as a minimum of 60 percent of fish and produce retailers voluntarily provide nutritional information.

The FDA’s regulations for nutrition labeling include a specific format, mandatory contents, and voluntary contents. Information listed in the required Nutrition Facts panel must include the following values: total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. The following facts may be included voluntarily: calories from saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, potassium, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, sugar alcohol, other carbohydrate, percent of vitamin A present as beta-carotene, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Only the mandatory and voluntary nutritional facts are permitted in the Nutrition Facts panel.

There are some exemptions to these nutritional labeling requirements. Food intended for children under the age of 2 must not bear any information regarding certain fats or calories because parents may associate these nutrients and health hazards whereas they are necessary to child growth and development.

Please consult the following sources for further information on nutritional facts including specific format, contents, and exemptions:

• The Nutritional Labeling and Education Act
• FDA Backgrounder: The Food Label