The Nutrition Facts label found on packaged food products underwent a revision in 2016 to incorporate current scientific findings, specifically regarding the relationship between dietary habits and chronic conditions like heart disease and obesity. These modifications are intended to assist consumers in making more informed nutritional decisions. The updated label is now featured on the vast majority of food packaging. Companies with annual food sales of $10 million or more were mandated to implement these changes by January 1, 2020, while smaller businesses were granted until January 1, 2021. Producers of certain cranberry items and single-ingredient sugars, such as maple syrup and honey, were given until July 1, 2021, to comply.
Industry members should visit the For Industry page for additional re
Consumers and educators are encouraged to visit the Nutrition Facts Label Education Campaign page to learn more about these label updates.
A side-by-side comparison of the original and new labels is available in PDF format (462KB), with an additional version in Español (463KB).
Highlights of the Updated Label
While the label retains its familiar appearance, significant updates were made to ensure consumers have the information necessary to make healthy choices. These adjustments include increasing the font size for “Calories,” “servings per container,” and the “Serving size” declaration, as well as bolding the calorie count and serving size information for better visibility.
Manufacturers are now required to list the actual gram amounts of vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium alongside their percent Daily Value. Providing the gram amounts for other vitamins and minerals remains optional.
The footnote has been revised to provide a clearer explanation of the percent Daily Value. It now states: “*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.”
Reflects Updated Information about Nutrients
Labels must now include “Added sugars” in both grams and as a percent Daily Value, though specific requirements vary for single-ingredient sugars.
The list of required and permitted nutrients has been adjusted. Vitamin D and potassium are now mandatory, while calcium and iron remain required. Vitamins A and C are no longer mandatory but may be listed voluntarily.
While “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat,” and “Trans Fat” remain on the label, “Calories from Fat” has been removed, as research indicates that the type of fat is more significant than the total amount consumed.
Daily values for nutrients such as dietary fiber, sodium, and vitamin D have been updated based on recent scientific evidence from the Institute of Medicine and reports like the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, which informed the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These daily values serve as reference points for nutrient intake and are used to calculate the percent Daily Value (% DV), which helps consumers understand how a specific food fits into their total daily diet.
Updated Serving Sizes and Labeling Requirements for Certain Package Sizes
Because package size influences consumption, products containing between one and two servings—such as a 15-ounce can of soup or a 20-ounce soda—must be labeled as a single serving, as these are typically consumed in one sitting.
For products larger than a single serving that could be consumed either in one sitting or multiple, manufacturers must provide “dual column” labels. These indicate the calorie and nutrient content for both “per serving” and “per package” or “per unit.” This makes it easier for consumers to understand the nutritional impact of eating or drinking the entire container at once.
English (PDF: 955KB), Español (PDF: 1MB)
Final Rules that Specify the Change
Final Rule: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
See submitted comments, supporting documents, and references in Docket No. FDA-2012-N-1210.
1. Why did you change the Nutrition Facts label?
The previous label was more than 20 years old when the changes were made. To make sure consumers have access to more recent and accurate nutrition information about the foods they are eating, FDA required changes based on updated scientific information, new nutrition and public health research, more recent dietary recommendations from expert groups, and input from the public.
2. What major changes were made?
The changes include modifying the list of required nutrients that must be declared on the label, updating serving size requirements, and providing a refreshed design. The current Nutrition Facts label makes it easier for consumers to make informed decisions about the food they eat.
3. Is the updated label already on packaged foods?
Yes, manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales had to make the changes by January 1, 2020. Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales had an extra year to comply – until January 1, 2021. Manufacturers of most single-ingredient sugars such as honey and maple syrup and certain cranberry products have until July 1, 2021 to make the changes.
4. Why must “added sugars” now be included?
The scientific evidence underlying the 2010, the 2015-2020, and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans support reducing caloric intake from added sugars. Consuming too much added sugars can make it difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits.
The FDA recognizes that added sugars can be a part of a healthy dietary pattern. But if consumed in excess, it becomes more difficult to also eat foods with enough dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals and still stay within calorie limits. The updates to the label will help increase consumer awareness of the quantity of added sugars in foods. Consumers may or may not decide to reduce the consumption of certain foods with added sugars, based on their individual needs or preferences.
Sugars that are added during the processing of foods will have both the percent Daily Value and the number of grams of Added Sugars on their labels. Single-ingredient sugars such as table sugar, maple syrup, or honey will only have the percent Daily Value for Added Sugars listed on their labels. See the Nutrition Facts label for honey, maple syrup, or other single-ingredient sugars or syrups as well as for certain cranberry products.
5. Must Added Sugars be declared on packages and containers of single-ingredient sugars and syrups, such as pure honey and maple syrup?
Packages and containers of these products are not required to include a declaration of the number of grams of Added Sugars in a serving of the product but must still include a declaration of the percent Daily Value for Added Sugars. Manufacturers are encouraged, but not required, to use the “†” symbol immediately following the Added Sugars percent Daily Value on single-ingredient sugars, which would lead to a footnote explaining the amount of added sugars that one serving of the product contributes to the diet as well as the contribution of a serving of the product toward the percent Daily Value for added sugars.
6. What about certain cranberry products that have sugars added for palatability?
The number of grams of Added Sugars in a serving of a cranberry product, as well as the percent Daily Value for Added Sugars, must still be labeled. FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion for certain cranberry products to allow manufacturers to use a symbol leading to a statement that is truthful and not misleading placed outside the Nutrition Facts label. These manufacturers could explain, for example, that the sugars added to certain dried cranberries or cranberry beverage products are added to improve the palatability of naturally tart cranberries. See the Nutrition Facts label for honey, maple syrup, or other single-ingredient sugars or syrups as well as for certain cranberry products.
7. How does the FDA define “added sugars”?
The definition of added sugars includes sugars that are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such, and include sugars (free, mono- and disaccharides), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices that are in excess of what would be expected from the same volume of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice of the same type. The definition excludes fruit or vegetable juice concentrated from 100 percent fruit juice that is sold to consumers (e.g. frozen 100 percent fruit juice concentrate) as well as some sugars found in fruit and vegetable juices, jellies, jams, preserves, and fruit spreads. However, although they are still “added sugars,” single-ingredient sugars such as pure honey, maple syrup, and a bag of sugar, have different labeling requirements from other added sugars.
For industry and those interested in the more technical version of the definition, please consult page 33980 of the Nutrition Facts Label Final Rule.
8. Are you using the new label to tell people what to eat?
The Nutrition Facts label is designed to provide information that can help consumers make informed choices about the food they purchase and consume. It is up to consumers to decide what is appropriate for them and their families’ needs and preferences.
9. Why is transfat still on the label if the FDA is phasing it out?
Transfat will be reduced but not eliminated from foods, so FDA will continue to require it on the label. In 2015, the FDA published a final determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the source of artificial transfat, are not generally recognized as safe, but this determination would not affect naturally occurring trans fat, which would still exist in the food supply. Transfat is present naturally in food from some animals, mainly ruminants such as cows and goats. Also, industry can currently use some oils that are approved as food additives and can still petition FDA for certain uses of PHOs.
10. Why are vitamin D and potassium being added to the Nutrition Facts label?
Vitamin D and potassium are nutrients Americans don’t always get enough of, according to nationwide food consumption surveys (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/), and when lacking, are associated with increased risk of chronic disease. Vitamin D is important for its role in bone health, and potassium helps to lower blood pressure. Calcium and iron are already required and will continue to be on the label.
11. Why are you no longer requiring vitamins A and C?
In the early 1990’s, American diets lacked Vitamins A and C, but now Vitamins A and C deficiencies in the general population are rare. Manufacturers are still able to list these vitamins voluntarily.
12. Does the new label look different?
We have made some improvements to the format to provide significant public health information. Changes include:
Highlighting “Calories,” “servings per container,” and the “Serving size” declaration by increasing the type size and placing the number of calories and the “Serving size” declaration in bold type.
Requiring manufacturers to declare the actual amount, in addition to percent Daily Value, of the mandatory vitamins and minerals.
Adding “Includes X g Added Sugars” directly beneath the listing for “Total Sugars.” Some sugars such as honey and maple syrup do not have to list the number of grams of added sugars but must still include the %Daily Value.
Changing the footnote to better explain the percent Daily Value. It will now read: “*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.”
13. I heard that some serving sizes are actually be bigger. That doesn’t seem to make sense with the obesity epidemic.
Some serving sizes will increase and others will decrease because by law, the serving sizes must be based on the amounts of food and drink that people typically consume, not on how much they should consume. Recent food consumption data show that some serving sizes need to be revised. For example, the reference amount used to set a serving of ice cream was previously ½ cup and now is 2/3 cup. The reference amount used to set a serving size of soda was previously 8 ounces and now is 12 ounces. The reference amount for yogurt decreased from 8 ounces to 6 ounces. Nutrient information on the new label will be based on these updated serving sizes so it matches what people actually consume.
14. Do the new requirements apply to imported food?
Yes, foods imported to the United States will need to meet the final requirements.
Download high-resolution examples of different labels in the new format (for reference only), includes the following label samples:
Standard Vertical (Side-by-Side Display)
Standard Vertical (w/ Voluntary)
Infants through 12 Months of Age
Tabular Display for Small Packages
Linear Display for Small Packages
Dual Columns, Two Forms of the Same Food
Dual Columns, Per Serving and Per Unit
Declaration of Added Sugars for Single-Ingredient Sugars and Certain Cranberry Products(PDF 384 KB)
Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Proposed Rules on the Nutrition Facts Label
Side-By-Side Comparison of the Old and New Nutrition Facts Label (PDF: 575KB) Español (PDF: 789KB)
Details of Key Changes 1 Page Overview (PDF: 189KB) Español (PDF: 193KB)
Infographic on Serving Sizes (PDF: 431KB) Español (PDF: 410KB)
Examples of Labels in the New Format (PDF: 1.7MB)
At a Glance: Highlights of the Final Nutrition Facts Label (PDF: 195KB)
Education Materials for Consumers and Educators
On March 11, 2020, FDA launched its Nutrition Facts Label Education Campaign. “The New Nutrition Facts Label: What’s in it for You?”education campaign was developed by FDA to raise awareness about the changes to the Nutrition Facts label, increase its use, and help consumers, health care professionals, and educators learn how to use it as a tool for maintaining healthy dietary practices.
