How to Comply With the New Nutrition Facts Label Rules

Knowledge can nourish both your body and your mind.

That’s why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to empower consumers with more information to make it easier to know exactly what you’re consuming.

On January 1, 2020, the FDA’s new nutritional labeling regulation came into effect. The new rules will help consumers make more informed food and beverage choices by supporting retail transparency and consumer health and wellness by adding more detailed product information.¹ Nutrition Education Resources & Materials. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. January 13, 2020. ²Learn How the NEW Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.September 13, 2019.

The FDA updated the Nutrition Facts label regulations, which changes how manufacturers are required to label all packaged food and beverage products made in the United States and imported to the U.S. from foreign countries. Smaller manufacturers have until 2021 to comply with these new rules.

These changes reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases like obesity and heart disease, up-to-date dietary recommendations, and public input.³ Ibid.

Nutrition Facts label timeline

• 1994: Nutrition Facts label introduced for packaged foods
• 2016: FDA announced new updates to the Nutrition Facts label 
• 2020: Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales must use the new label 
• 2021: Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales must use the new label⁴ Nutrition Education Resources & Materials. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. January 13, 2020. 

The FDA finalized the updated Nutrition Facts label in May 2016. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales had to comply by January 1, 2020, and manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales had until January 1, 2021. Manufacturers of most single-ingredient sugars, such as honey and maple syrup, and certain cranberry products had until July 1, 2021.

All these deadlines have passed, so every packaged food sold in the U.S. must carry the updated label. If you are launching a new product or reformulating an existing one, build the label to the current format from the start.

What Changed on the Nutrition Facts Label

Here are several ways the Nutrition Facts label has evolved, which suppliers need to know when creating their product labels (and which retail buyers expect from suppliers who seek to bring their products into retail stores): 

• Calories: Larger, darker letters make calories the easiest item to see on the new label. 
• Fat: The new label will no longer show the percentage of calories from fat. Instead, it shows percentages from the unhealthy types of fat, saturated and trans fats, because the type of fat we eat matters more than the overall amount of fat to support healthy habits.⁵ Learn How the NEW Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.September 13, 2019.
• Added Sugars: Beyond showing the total percentage of calories derived from sugars, the new CPG labels will show the percentage from added sugars. Experts recommend that less than 10% of our daily calories come from added sugars.⁶Ibid
• Serving Size: The new serving size reflects what people are likely to eat or drink today, rather than the portions that nutritionists recommend per serving, to provide a more realistic view of the number of calories we consume.
• Calories: Larger, darker letters make calories the easiest item to see on the new label. 
• Fat: The new label will no longer show the percentage of calories from fat. Instead, it shows percentages from the unhealthy types of fat, saturated and trans fats, because the type of fat we eat matters more than the overall amount of fat to support healthy habits.

• Dual Column Labels: When food or drink packages contain more than one serving, there is a chance a consumer may eat the whole package in one sitting. Now, a new two-column label ensures consumers know the calorie and nutrition information for one serving, as well as for the entire package. The requirements also apply to products in individual units like slices of bread and muffins. Exceptions apply for products in packages constrained by limited space, like raw fruits, vegetables and seafood.⁷ Wiley, Carol. FDA Final Guidance Clarifies New Nutrition Label Requirements. Food Industry Executive. January 7, 2020. 
• Required Nutrients Data: Vitamin D and potassium values will now be required on the label. Vitamins A and C will no longer be required but manufacturers can include them on a voluntary basis.⁸ Friedman, Megan. The Nutrition Label On Your Food Is About To Look Different. Delish.October 25, 2018.
• Sodium: The daily limit for sodium will decrease slightly from 2,400 mg per day to 2,300 mg per day, which reflects experts’ dietary guidelines.⁹ Learn How the NEW Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.September 13, 2019. ¹⁰ Friedman, Megan. The Nutrition Label On Your Food Is About To Look Different. Delish.October 25, 2018. 

The same 2016 rule also updated the Supplement Facts label used on dietary supplements, so supplement brands should review their panels against the current requirements as well. ¹¹ Buscemi, Jolene. Do Skin Supplements Really Work? Here’s What Dermatologists Say. Huffington Post. January 16, 2020.

How to Create a Compliant Nutrition Facts Label

What’s Next for Food Labels

The Front-of-Package Nutrition Info Box

In January 2025, the FDA proposed a rule that would require a Nutrition Info box on the front of most packaged foods. The box would show whether a serving is Low, Medium, or High in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, along with the % Daily Value for each. As proposed, businesses with $10 million or more in annual food sales would have three years after the final rule takes effect to comply, and smaller businesses would have four years. The rule is not yet final, so brands planning new packaging should keep it in mind.

The Updated “Healthy” Claim

The FDA also updated the definition of “healthy” as a nutrient content claim. The final rule took effect in April 2025, and products that use the claim must meet the new criteria by February 25, 2028. To qualify, a food must contain a meaningful amount from at least one food group, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, or grains, and stay within limits for added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

Implementation benefits and resources

The FDA is collaborating with CPG manufacturers for a smooth transition to help companies adapt to the new nutritional product information to support healthy choices. The agency noted that for the first six months of 2020, it will not focus on enforcing the label requirements.¹² Wiley, Carol. FDA Final Guidance Clarifies New Nutrition Label Requirements. Food Industry Executive. January 7, 2020. To help CPG suppliers comply with these new Nutrition Facts regulations, the FDA released a final guidance document.¹³ Wiley, Carol. FDA Final Guidance Clarifies New Nutrition Label Requirements. Food Industry Executive. January 7, 2020.

In the meantime, these nutrition labels could spark innovation among CPG manufacturers and retailers with private label lines to adjust existing recipes or create new products to improve the nutritional quality of their product assortment.¹⁴ Schumaker, Erin. New FDA labels include nutrition info for eating that whole bag of chips or pint of ice cream. ABC News. January 1, 2020.

Has the updated nutrition facts label persuaded your product choices?

Selling abroad? Read how U.S. and EU food standards compare.

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