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BBQ Rub Label

BBQ rub label requirements are short but specific: the name, the net weight, every spice named in the ingredient list, a check for allergens, who blended it and where and, unless an exemption applies, Nutrition Facts per 1/4 teaspoon for a rub that contains salt. That tiny serving is why a sweet rub can show 0 calories while brown sugar leads its ingredient list. Enter your blend and get the shaker label in minutes.

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BBQ rub label on a 6 oz shaker of sweet heat dry rub next to a rack of ribs, with a Nutrition Facts panel: 0 calories and 90 mg sodium per 1/4 teaspoon
Checklist

What has to be on your BBQ rub label

On a shaker, the front holds the first two parts and a back or wrap label holds the rest. The numbers match the example.

Front label
PIT TESTED · SMALL BATCHSweet HeatBBQ Rub
NET WT 6 OZ (170g)
Back label
Nutrition Facts
170 servings per container
Serving size1/4 tsp (1g)
Calories0
Total Fat 0g0%
Sodium 90mg4%
Total Carb. Less than 1g0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, added sugars, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
INGREDIENTS: Brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cumin, red pepper.
Allergens: none of the 9 major food allergens.
Blended by Low & Slow Rub Co.Kansas City, MO 64108
  1. 1
    Name of the rub21 CFR 101.3
    "BBQ rub", "Brisket rub", "Pork and poultry rub". A flavor word in front is fine: "Sweet heat BBQ rub".
  2. 2
    Net weight21 CFR 101.7
    Rubs are sold by weight, in ounces and grams: NET WT 6 OZ (170g). A 1 lb refill bag reads NET WT 16 OZ (1 LB) 454g.
  3. 3
    Nutrition Facts21 CFR 101.9
    Per 1/4 teaspoon for an all-purpose rub with salt. Salt makes sodium show up even in that pinch.
  4. 4
    Ingredient list21 U.S.C. 343(i); 21 CFR 101.4
    Heaviest first, and each spice by name. On a rub you sell as a seasoning, the word "spices" cannot stand in for paprika, cumin and the rest.
  5. 5
    Allergen checkFALCPA
    Most rubs have none. Watch bought-in powders: soy sauce powder brings soy and often wheat, cheese or buttermilk powder brings milk. Mustard and celery seed are not among the nine.
  6. 6
    Name and address21 CFR 101.5
    The blender or packer, plus city, state and ZIP. A rub blended for you by a spice house? "Distributed by" plus your address.
BBQ rub rules

Things that are different for BBQ rubs

1/4 tspA rub with salt is a seasoning saltFDA's product list moves spices and herbs that contain salt into the salt and seasoning salt group, next to all-purpose seasoning salt: a 1/4 teaspoon reference amount, with the grams. Weigh a level 1/4 tsp of your own rub. Coarse salt and sugar weigh more per spoon than fluffy powders.21 CFR 101.12(b); FDA RACC product list
Per dishA mix sold for one dish works differentlyFDA has a separate group for coating mixes for meat, poultry and fish and for seasoning mixes made for a specific dish, like chili or meat loaf seasoning. There the serving is the amount that seasons one reference amount of the finished dish. If you sell a mix as the seasoning for one recipe, check whether that group fits better than 1/4 tsp.21 CFR 101.12(b), Table 2
0 calSugar first, zero on the panelIn the sample, brown sugar is the heaviest ingredient, so it leads the list. Yet 1 g of rub holds under half a gram of sugar and under 5 calories, and FDA lets both round to zero. The ingredient list tells the truth about the blend; the panel tells it about one pinch.21 CFR 101.9(c)(1), (c)(6)(ii)
90 mgSodium keeps the panel onA food can skip Nutrition Facts when every required nutrient rounds to zero and it makes no claims. Three tablespoons of salt give the sample 90 mg of sodium per serving, 4% of the Daily Value, so that shortcut is closed. The small business exemption is a separate question.21 CFR 101.9(j)(4)Do I Need a Nutrition Label? →
SmokeSmoke flavor powder limits what you promiseArtificial smoke flavor is declared as "artificial flavor" or "artificial smoke flavor". A seasoning made with it may not claim, even by implication, that it gives food a true smoked flavor. Buying in a smoke powder? Read its label for that wording.21 CFR 101.22(h)(6)
CottageRubs from a home kitchenMississippi's list of allowed foods names dried spices and dry rubs outright. Each state sets its own label lines, so check yours.Mississippi Cottage Food Law →
Sizes

Rub shakers, bags and the label that fits

Shakers are small and round, so the panel style matters. Measure the flat area on the back and switch styles in the tool.

ContainerTypical label areaStyle that usually fits
3 oz spice shaker3 × 1.5 inSmall package (linear)
6 oz shaker jar3.5 × 3 inSimplifiedSample
12 oz restaurant shaker4 × 4 inStandard (vertical)
1 lb refill bag4 × 5 inStandard (vertical)
Sample recipe included

Start from a sweet heat rub that's already filled in

A sweet, smoky rub for ribs and pork shoulder. We set the serving at 1 g for a level 1/4 tsp; weigh your own blend and enter that weight instead. Cut the brown sugar to 3 tbsp and salt moves to the top of the list, while sodium climbs to 125 mg per serving, because every pinch now holds more salt. Double the cayenne and the panel stays the same; only red pepper moves ahead of cumin.

Start with this recipe
IngredientAmountUnit
Brown sugar✓ USDA match1/2cup
Paprika✓ USDA match1/4cup
Salt✓ USDA match3tbsp
Black pepper✓ USDA match2tbsp
Garlic powder✓ USDA match2tbsp
Onion powder✓ USDA match1tbsp
Ground cumin✓ USDA match1tsp
Cayenne pepper✓ USDA match1tsp
Makes about 8.3 oz, one 6 oz shaker plus a little extraServing 1/4 tsp (1 g); reference amount 1/4 tsp
Questions

BBQ rub label questions

Enter every ingredient of one batch, in cups, spoons or ounces, and confirm each USDA match. Set the serving to 1/4 tsp and type in what that spoonful of your rub weighs, and enter the net weight of one shaker for the servings per container. The tool rounds every value, builds the ingredient list by weight and checks the allergens. Start a label →

Related pages

PRODUCTBBQ Sauce Label TemplatePRODUCTSpice Label Stickers and Seasoning LabelsPRODUCTSalt LabelGUIDEFDA Spices Labeling RequirementsCOTTAGE FOODCottage Food LawPRINTINGAvery Food LabelsLABEL MAKERNutrition Label Generator

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