Free Food Label Creator

What goes on a food label

A Nutrition Facts panel is one element of a compliant label, not the whole thing. Five other pieces are mandatory on a packaged food sold in the United States, and a package missing any of them is non-compliant however good its panel is.

Statement of identity and net quantity

The statement of identity names the food in its common or usual name, set in bold type and parallel to the base of the package as it sits on a shelf. Net quantity of contents belongs in the bottom 30% of the principal display panel — the face a customer sees — and must be given in both US customary and metric units, as in Net Wt 12 oz (340g).

The ingredient list is ordered by input weight

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight as they go into the product, not as they end up in it. That distinction catches people out with anything that loses water during cooking. Water itself counts and is frequently near the top of the list.

Compound ingredients carry their own sub-ingredients in parentheses, also in descending order — for example chocolate chips (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin). Those sub-ingredients are where undeclared allergens most often hide.

Nine allergens, not eight

Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans — and, since 1 January 2023 under the FASTER Act, sesame. Sesame is the one to check: any label written from an older template or an older reference will be missing it, and sesame appears in more products than people expect, including many breads and spice blends.

You may declare allergens inside the ingredient list itself or in a separate Contains statement immediately after it. The tool above builds the Contains statement, which is the clearer of the two and the harder one to get wrong.

Name and place of business

The label must carry the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor. If the business named is not the manufacturer, the relationship has to be stated — Distributed by or Manufactured for. A street address may be omitted only when the business is listed in a current telephone or city directory.

Frequently asked questions

What has to appear on a food label?

Five elements are mandatory on a packaged food sold in the United States: a statement of identity naming the food, the net quantity of contents, an ingredient list in descending order by weight, a declaration of any of the nine major allergens, and the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor. A Nutrition Facts panel is required as well unless the product qualifies for a small-business or low-nutrient exemption.

Which allergens must I declare?

Nine: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame became the ninth on 1 January 2023 under the FASTER Act, and labels written before that date frequently miss it. Declare either in the ingredient list itself or in a separate Contains statement immediately after it — this tool builds the Contains statement.

How do I order the ingredient list?

Descending order by weight as the ingredients go into the product, not as they end up in it. Water counts and is often near the top. Sub-ingredients of a compound ingredient go in parentheses after it, also in descending order — for example: chocolate chips (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin).

Where does net quantity go?

In the bottom 30% of the principal display panel — the face of the package a customer sees on the shelf — set parallel to the base of the container. It must be given in both US customary and metric units, for example: Net Wt 12 oz (340g).

Do I still need a Nutrition Facts panel?

Usually yes. The main exemptions cover small businesses under the FDA's sales thresholds, food sold directly to consumers in very low volumes, and products with negligible nutritional content. Making any nutrient content claim on the package removes the exemption immediately.