Labeling & Nutrition Guidance Documents & Regulatory Information
Labeling & Nutrition Main Section
Temporary Policy Related to COVID-19
- Temporary Policy Regarding Certain Food Labeling Requirements During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Minor Formulation Changes and Vending Machines May 2020
- Temporary Policy Regarding Packaging and Labeling of Shell Eggs Sold by Retail Food Establishments During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency April 2020
- Temporary Policy Regarding Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Chain Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency April 2020
- Temporary Policy Regarding Nutrition Labeling of Certain Packaged Food During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency March 2020
General
- Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers on FDA’s Fortification Policy November 2015
- Food Labeling Guide January 2013
- Labeling of Foods that Need Refrigeration by Consumers February 1997
- Guidelines for Determining Metric Equivalents of Household Measures October 1993
- Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): Title 21 - Food and Drugs - Part 101--Food Labeling
Menu and Vending Machine Labeling
Away-From-Home Foods
- Temporary Policy Regarding Certain Food Labeling Requirements During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Minor Formulation Changes and Vending Machines May 2020
- Temporary Policy Regarding Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Chain Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency April 2020
- Guidance for Industry: A Labeling Guide for Restaurants and Retail Establishments Selling Away-From-Home Foods - Part II (Menu Labeling Requirements in Accordance with 21 CFR 101.11) April 2016
- Guidance for Industry: A Labeling Guide for Restaurants and Retail Establishments Selling Away-From-Home Foods - Part I April 2008
Food From Genetically Engineered Plants & Atlantic Salmon
- Draft Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Food Has or Has Not Been Derived From Genetically Engineered Atlantic Salmon Revised March 2019
- Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Derived from Genetically Engineered Plants Revised March 2019
Nutrition Labeling
- Guidance for Industry: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels; Small Entity Compliance Guide January 2020
- Guidance for Industry: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed At One Eating Occasion, Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed, Serving Size-Related Issues, Dual-Column Labeling, and Miscellaneous Topics December 2019
- Guidance for Industry: Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels: Questions and Answers Related to the Compliance Date, Added Sugars, and Declaration of Quantitative Amounts of Vitamins and Minerals Revised December 2019
- Guidance for Industry: Policy Related to Cranberry Products with Added Flavorings August 2019
- Guidance for Industry: Converting Units of Measure for Folate, Niacin, and Vitamins A, D, and E on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels August 2019
- Guidance for Industry: Declaration of Added Sugars on Honey, Maple Syrup, Other Single-Ingredient Sugars and Syrups, and Certain Cranberry Products June 2019
- Draft Guidance for Industry: The Use of an Alternate Name for Potassium Chloride in Food Labeling May 2019
- Draft Guidance for Industry: The Declaration of Allulose and Calories from Allulose on Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels April 2019
- Guidance for Industry: The Declaration of Certain Isolated or Synthetic Non-Digestible Carbohydrates as Dietary Fiber on Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels June 2018
- Guidance for Industry: Scientific Evaluation of the Evidence on the Beneficial Physiological Effects of Isolated or Synthetic Non-Digestible Carbohydrates Submitted as a Citizen Petition (21 CFR 10.30) February 2018
- Guidance for Industry: Proper Labeling of Honey and Honey Products February 2018
- Guidance for Industry: Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed: List of Products for Each Product Category February 2018
- Guidance for Industry: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed At One Eating Occasion; Dual-Column Labeling; Updating, Modifying, and Establishing Certain Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed; Serving Size for Breath Mints; and Technical Amendments; Small Entity Compliance Guide February 2018
- Guidance for Industry: FDA’s Policy on Declaring Small Amounts of Nutrients and Dietary Ingredients on Nutrition Labels July 2016
- Guidance for Industry: Nutrient Content Claims; Alpha-Linolenic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, and Docosahexaenoic Acid Omega-3 Fatty Acids Small Entity Compliance Guide February 2016
- Rules to Update the Nutrition Facts Label
- Small Business Nutrition Labeling Exemption Guide October 1, 2004; Updated May 2007
- Guidance for Industry: Serving Sizes Reference Amount for Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Pectin; Small Entity Compliance Guide; Small Entity Compliance Guide (July 2001)
- FDA Nutrition Labeling Manual -- A Guide for Developing and Using Data Bases March 1998
Label Claims
- Letter Regarding Point of Purchase Food Labeling October 2009
- Dear Manufacturer Letter Regarding Front-of-Package Symbols December 2008
- Dear Manufacturer Letter Regarding Food Labeling January 2007
- Notification of a Health Claim or Nutrient Content Claim Based on an Authoritative Statement of a Scientific Body July 1998
- Structure/Function Claims: Small Entity Compliance Guide January 2002
- Dear Manufacturer Letter Regarding Sugar Free Claims September 2007
- Nutrient Content Claims; Definition for "High Potency" and Definition for "Antioxidant" for Use in Nutrient Content Claims for Dietary Supplements and Conventional Foods Small Entity Compliance Guide July 2008
- Interim Procedures for Qualified Health Claims in the Labeling of Conventional Human Food and Human Dietary Supplements (July 2003
- FDA's Implementation of "Qualified Health Claims": Questions and Answers May 2006
- Evidence-Based Review System for the Scientific Evaluation of Health Claims January 2009
- Authorized Health Claims That Meet the Significant Scientific Agreement Standard
- Health Claims; Calcium and Osteoporosis, and Calcium, Vitamin D, and Osteoporosis May 2009
- More on Label Claims
- More on the Front-of-Package Labeling Initiative
Allergens
Specific Topics
Topic-Specific Labeling Information covering:
- Adding Novel Ingredients to Conventional Foods
- AquAdvantage Salmon
- Beer
- Biotechnology
- BSE (Mad Cow Disease)
- Eggs/Shell Eggs
- Food Irradiation
- "Fresh"
- Gluten-Free
- "Healthy"
- Honey
- Irradiation
- Juice
- Milk
- "Natural"
- Trans Fatty Acids
- White Chocolate
- Foods Needing Refrigeration
- Raw Fruits, Vegetables and Fish
- Refrigeration
- Shell Eggs
- Warning Statements
- Whole Grain
- Food Standards
Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, & Recalls
- Inspection References (Manuals and other documents that provide procedures and guidance to FDA personnel for conducting their inspection and investigation activities)
- Compliance References (Compliance Policy Guides and Regulatory Procedure Manual)
- Imports and Exports (Procedures, Compliance Programs, Import Alerts, Detentions)
- FDA Recalls and Safety Alerts (Policies, Enforcement Reports, Alerts)
- For warning letters and other letters, see the CFSAN FOIA Electronic Reading Room and FDA Warning Letters