Free Nutrition Facts Label Generator

What the FDA actually requires

Any nutrition label maker can draw a box with numbers in it. What separates a usable panel from a non-compliant one is the 2016 format, and most of what goes wrong is structural rather than arithmetic.

The Nutrition Facts panel was redesigned in 2016 and compliance has been mandatory for all manufacturers since 2021. Most panels that fail do so not because the numbers are wrong but because they follow the pre-2016 layout, which is now non-compliant regardless of accuracy.

What changed in the 2016 format

Four changes matter. The calorie figure is set much larger and bolder than everything else on the panel. Servings per container now sits above serving size rather than below it. Added sugars became a mandatory line with its own % Daily Value. And the mandatory micronutrients changed: vitamin D and potassium must now be declared, while vitamins A and C no longer have to be.

Added sugars — the line most labels get wrong

Added sugars are sugars added during processing, plus sugars from syrups, honey and concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. Sugars occurring naturally in fruit and milk are not included. The line reads Includes Xg Added Sugars, sits indented beneath total sugars, and carries its own percentage against a 50 g reference. Panels that omit it, or that fold added sugars into the total sugars figure without a separate line, are non-compliant.

Daily Values moved too

Several reference values changed with the 2016 update — sodium came down from 2,400 mg to 2,300 mg, dietary fibre rose from 25 g to 28 g, and vitamin D is now expressed in micrograms rather than international units. A panel calculated against the old references produces percentages that look plausible and are wrong. The tool above uses the current values.

Standard, tabular or linear

Standard vertical is the default. Tabular is permitted when a package genuinely lacks the vertical space for it. Linear — the whole panel run together as a single string of text — is reserved for packages with less than roughly 40 square inches of available label surface. Reaching for a compact format on a package that could carry the standard one is not allowed, and it is a common reason for a label to be rejected on review.

Type size and rules

The regulation prescribes structure as well as content: a heavy bar beneath the serving information, a second heavy bar above the vitamin block, hairlines between nutrient rows, and a defined hierarchy of type sizes with calories set largest. Panels that reproduce the words but not the rule weights are technically non-compliant, which is why this tool draws vector artwork rather than styled text.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a nutrition label maker or a nutrition facts label generator?

The same thing — the two names describe one job, and people search for both. Whether you call it a nutrition label generator, a nutrition facts label maker or a nutritional label generator, what you need from it is identical: the 2016 panel layout, current Daily Value references, and artwork a printer can use.

Do I need a separate food nutrition label maker for packaged food?

No. This nutrition facts label creator produces the panel for any conventional packaged food. What it does not produce is the rest of the label — ingredient statement, allergens, net weight — which the food label creator handles, and which a compliant package needs alongside the panel.

Is this nutrition label FDA-compliant?

The panel follows the 2016 format required by 21 CFR 101.9: the larger calorie figure, servings per container above serving size, the added sugars line with its own % Daily Value, and mandatory declaration of vitamin D and potassium. You remain responsible for the accuracy of the values you enter and for the rest of the label, including the ingredient statement, allergen declaration and net quantity.

Do I legally need a Nutrition Facts label on my product?

Most packaged foods sold in the United States need one. The main exemptions are small businesses below the FDA's sales thresholds, foods sold directly to consumers in very small volumes, and products with no significant nutritional content such as plain coffee beans, tea leaves and most spices. Making a nutrient content claim removes the exemption — as soon as a package says low fat or high fibre, the panel becomes mandatory.

How is % Daily Value calculated?

Each nutrient's amount per serving is divided by its FDA reference value and rounded to a whole percent. The 2016 update changed several of those reference values, so a panel calculated against the old numbers can be wrong even when the nutrient amounts are right. This tool uses the current values and recalculates as you type.

What is the difference between Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts?

Nutrition Facts panels follow 21 CFR 101.9 and go on conventional foods; they may only list nutrients the FDA recognises. Supplement Facts panels follow 21 CFR 101.36, go on dietary supplements, and may list botanicals and other ingredients with no established Daily Value. The two are not interchangeable.

Which layout should I use — standard, tabular or linear?

Standard vertical is the default and works for most packages. Tabular is permitted when the package does not have enough vertical space for the standard format. Linear — a single run of text — is only allowed on very small packages with less than about 40 square inches of label area. Choosing a compact format to save space on a package that could carry the standard one is not permitted.

What resolution do I need for printing?

PNG and PDF exports rasterise at three times the panel's on-screen size, which clears 300 dpi at typical label width. For artwork that will be scaled up, use the SVG export — it stays sharp at any size and most printers prefer vector.