Nutrition Facts Label Rounding Rules
FDA doesn't let you print whatever your spreadsheet says. Each nutrient on a Nutrition Facts label is rounded to set increments, and some small amounts may or must be shown as zero. The rules are in 21 CFR 101.9(c).
Below is the full set for the standard U.S. label (adults and children 4 years and older). Our generator applies all of it and shows each step.
Nutrient amounts
| Nutrient | Rule | CFR |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | Under 5 → 0. 5 to 50 → nearest 5. Over 50 → nearest 10. | 101.9(c)(1) |
| Total fat, saturated fat, trans fat | Under 0.5 g → 0. Under 5 g → nearest 0.5 g. 5 g and up → nearest 1 g. | 101.9(c)(2), (c)(2)(i)–(ii) |
| Cholesterol | Under 2 mg → 0. 2 to 5 mg → may be stated "less than 5 mg." Otherwise nearest 5 mg. | 101.9(c)(3) |
| Sodium | Under 5 mg → 0. 5 to 140 mg → nearest 5 mg. Over 140 mg → nearest 10 mg. | 101.9(c)(4) |
| Total carbohydrate | Nearest 1 g. Under 1 g → may be "less than 1 gram." Under 0.5 g → may be 0. | 101.9(c)(6) |
| Dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars | Same as total carbohydrate. | 101.9(c)(6)(i)–(iii) |
| Protein | Nearest 1 g. Under 1 g → may be "less than 1 gram." Under 0.5 g → may be 0. | 101.9(c)(7) |
| Vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium (amounts) | Use the units in the Daily Value table (mcg or mg). Trailing zeros may be dropped, and extra decimals may be used for small amounts. FDA recommends: vitamin D 0.1 mcg, calcium 10 mg, iron 0.1 mg, potassium 10 mg. | 101.9(c)(8)(iii); FDA Q&A guidance (Dec 2019), §VI |
Notes:
- When fat is under 0.5 g and no fat, fatty acid or cholesterol claim is made, saturated and trans fat can be left off. You then add "Not a significant source of saturated fat" / "…trans fat" at the bottom of the label (101.9(c)(2)(i)–(ii)).
- Cholesterol under 2 mg with no fat, fatty acid or cholesterol claim can also be omitted, with "Not a significant source of cholesterol" (101.9(c)(3)).
- Cholesterol of exactly 5 mg falls in FDA's "2 – 5 mg" band. FDA's own rounding table reads "2 – 5 mg: express as 'less than 5 mg'; > 5 mg: nearest 5 mg increment". At exactly 5 mg, "5mg" is also a correct nearest-5 declaration.
- Fiber, total sugars and added sugars under 1 g can be omitted when no related claim is made, with the matching "Not a significant source of …" footnote (101.9(c)(6)(i)–(iii)).
% Daily Value
| What | Rule | CFR |
|---|---|---|
| Fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, added sugars, protein | Nearest whole percent. Calculate from either the declared (rounded) amount or the actual (unrounded) amount. | 101.9(d)(7)(ii) |
| Trans fat, total sugars | No %DV (there is no Daily Value). | 101.9(c)(9) |
| Protein %DV | Optional, except required if you make a protein claim. It must use the protein amount corrected for quality (PDCAAS). | 101.9(c)(7) |
| Vitamins and minerals | Up to 10% → nearest 2%. Over 10% to 50% → nearest 5%. Over 50% → nearest 10%. | 101.9(c)(8)(iii) |
| Vitamins and minerals under 2% of the Daily Value | Not required. You may declare both the amount and the percent as zero ("Vitamin D 0mcg 0%"), or use an asterisk with "Contains less than 2 percent of the Daily Value of this (these) nutrient (nutrients)." For vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium only, you may instead omit the line and add "Not a significant source of ___." | 101.9(c)(8)(iii) |
Daily Values used on the standard label
| Nutrient | Daily Value | Nutrient | Daily Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total fat | 78 g | Sodium | 2,300 mg | |
| Saturated fat | 20 g | Dietary fiber | 28 g | |
| Cholesterol | 300 mg | Added sugars | 50 g | |
| Total carbohydrate | 275 g | Protein | 50 g | |
| Vitamin D | 20 mcg | Iron | 18 mg | |
| Calcium | 1,300 mg | Potassium | 4,700 mg |
Sources: 101.9(c)(9) (DRVs) and 101.9(c)(8)(iv) (RDIs). Vitamin D may also be shown in IU, in parentheses after the mcg amount. FDA's conversion is 1 mcg = 40 IU (FDA guidance on converting units of measure, August 2019).
Serving size and servings per container
| What | Rule | CFR |
|---|---|---|
| Metric serving size | 5 g/mL or more → nearest whole number. 2 to 5 → nearest 0.5. Under 2 → 0.1 increments. | 101.9(b)(7)(ii) |
| Servings per container | Nearest whole number, except 2 to 5 servings → nearest 0.5. Add "about" when rounding was needed. | 101.9(b)(8)(i) |
| Household measures | Cups in ¼ or ⅓ cup steps. Tablespoons: 1, 1⅓, 1½, 1⅔, 2, 3. Teaspoons: ⅛, ¼, ½, ¾, 1, 2. Exactly half-way rounds up to the next step. | 101.9(b)(5) |
Values that fall exactly half-way
- Where FDA states it outright, half-way rounds up:
- for 1-gram increments ("2.5 to 2.99 g, round up … 3 g") and for nutrient %DV. Sources: FDA, Guide for Developing and Using Data Bases for Nutrition Labeling (1998); A Food Labeling Guide, Appendix H.
- for serving sizes (101.9(b)(5)(ix)).
- FDA's 2016 small-amounts guidance gives worked examples that also round up at half-way on 0.5-gram steps (0.75 g → 1 g).
- For the other steps (5 and 10 calories, 5 and 10 mg, and the 2/5/10% vitamin and mineral steps), we found no FDA statement either way. FactsReady applies the same round-half-up convention to them.
When rounding and lab testing disagree
FDA checks labels by lab analysis of a composite of 12 consumer units (101.9(g)(2)).
- Limits:
- Added vitamins and minerals must test at least 100% of the label value.
- Naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrate and fiber must test at least 80%.
- Calories, sugars, total, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium must test no more than 120% (101.9(g)(3)–(5)).
- When a correctly rounded small number can't satisfy both rules: FDA's July 2016 guidance says to declare it per the rounding rules in 101.9(c)(1)–(8), and FDA intends to consider enforcement discretion (FDA, FDA's Policy on Declaring Small Amounts of Nutrients and Dietary Ingredients on Nutrition Labels).
Supplements round differently
On a Supplement Facts label:
- vitamin and mineral %DV is rounded to the nearest whole percent, not to 2/5/10% steps
- nutrients that would round to zero are left off.
See the Supplement Facts label maker.
Sources
- 21 CFR 101.9: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-A/section-101.9
- FDA Q&A guidance (Dec 2019): https://www.fda.gov/media/117402/download
- FDA, Guide for Developing and Using Data Bases for Nutrition Labeling (1998): https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-guide-developing-and-using-data-bases-nutrition-labeling
- FDA small-amounts guidance (July 2016): https://www.fda.gov/media/98834/download
- FDA unit-conversion guidance (Aug 2019): https://www.fda.gov/media/129863/download
Reference only, checked October 22, 2026. Not legal advice. The manufacturer is responsible for the label.