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Cheese Label

Cheese label requirements start with the name: cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella and dozens of other cheeses have an FDA standard of identity, and the label uses that exact name. Add the net weight, the ingredients, a Contains line for milk, your name and address and, in most cases, Nutrition Facts per 1 oz (28 g). Enter your cheese and get a panel that fits a wedge, a block or a pack of slices.

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Cheese label on an 8 oz block of cheddar cheese with black pepper, with a Nutrition Facts panel showing 110 calories per 1 oz serving
Checklist

What has to be on your cheese label

The name and weight go on the front of the wrap. The rest fits on the back or a side label, like the block on the left.

Front label
FARMSTEAD · CRACKED PEPPERCheddar Cheesewith Black Pepper
NET WT 8 OZ (227g)
Back label
Nutrition Facts
about 8 servings per container
Serving size1 oz (28g/about 1 inch cube)
Calories110
Total Fat 9g12%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 180mg8%
Total Carb. 1g0%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 0g
Incl. Added Sugars 0g0%
Protein 6g
Vitamin D 0.2mcg0%
Calcium 200mg15%
Iron 0.1mg0%
Potassium 20mg0%
INGREDIENTS: Cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), black pepper.
Allergens: Contains milk.
Made by Hollow Creek DairyMontpelier, VT 05602
  1. 1
    Standard name of the cheese21 CFR 133.113, 133.193
    A cheese that meets a standard carries its name: "cheddar cheese", "monterey jack cheese", "mozzarella cheese". Add a spice and the name keeps the variety plus the spice, like "cheddar cheese with black pepper".
  2. 2
    Net weight21 CFR 101.7
    Ounces and grams on the front: NET WT 8 OZ (227g). Wedges cut to order weigh something different each time, so each one gets its own weight, which may be written in decimal pounds, like 0.75 lb.
  3. 3
    Nutrition Facts21 CFR 101.9
    Per 1 oz (28 g) for a block or wedge, per slice for sliced cheese. Small producers may be exempt while the label makes no nutrition claims, such as "high protein" or "good source of calcium".
  4. 4
    Ingredient list21 CFR 101.4, 133.113(d)
    Milk, culture, salt and enzymes. The cheddar standard lets you write "enzymes" instead of naming each one. Smoked, herbed or peppered cheese adds those extras in order of weight.
  5. 5
    Allergen statementFALCPA
    Cheese means milk, so name it in a Contains line or in the ingredient list. Coated, rolled or stuffed cheeses can bring more allergens, like nuts in a crust.
  6. 6
    Name and address21 CFR 101.5
    The dairy that made the cheese or the shop that packed it, with city, state and ZIP. Cutting and wrapping someone else's wheel? "Packed by" with your details works.
Cheese rules

Things that are different for cheese

30 gServing size depends on the cheeseMost cheese uses a 30 g reference amount: 1 oz (28g) with a visual unit, like a slice or cube size, for a block, a piece count for sticks. Cream cheese and cheese spread are also 30 g, in tablespoons. Grated parmesan is 5 g in tablespoons, ricotta 55 g in cups, cottage cheese 110 g in cups.21 CFR 101.12(b)
1 sliceSliced cheese: often one sliceA slice that weighs 67% or more of 30 g, so about 20 g and up, is labeled as 1 slice. Slices of 15 g or less: the number of whole slices closest to 30 g. In between, you may choose 1 or 2 slices.21 CFR 101.9(b)(2)(i)
60 daysRaw milk cheddar must ageCheddar made from milk that is not pasteurized must be cured at 35 °F or warmer for at least 60 days. Monterey jack has no raw milk option: its standard calls for pasteurized dairy ingredients.21 CFR 133.113(a)(1), 133.153(a)(1)
VariedRandom-weight wedgesFDA names cheese as an example of random-weight food: wedges may state "varied" as the servings per container, with the typical number in parentheses. Our labels print a number from the package weight you enter, so fixed-weight packs are the simplest route.21 CFR 101.9(b)(8)(iii)
< 12 sq inTiny portionsA package with less than 12 square inches available for labeling, like a small snack portion, is exempt from Nutrition Facts as long as it makes no nutrition claims and gives an address or phone number where buyers can get the nutrition information. The name, weight, ingredients and allergens still go on it.21 CFR 101.9(j)(13)(i)
ProcessMelted and blended cheese has its own namesCheese heated and mixed with an emulsifying agent becomes pasteurized process cheese, pasteurized process cheese food or pasteurized process cheese spread, each with its own standard. Use the name your recipe meets.21 CFR 133.169, 133.173, 133.179
Sizes

Cheese packages and the label that fits

Wrapped wedges leave little flat space. Measure the face you will stick the label on, then try the formats in the tool.

PackageTypical label areaStyle that usually fits
4 oz wedge2 × 2.5 inSmall package (linear)
8 oz block3 × 2.5 inTabular (wide)Most common
8 oz pack of slices3 × 3 inStandard (vertical)
1 lb block or wheel3.5 × 4 inStandard (vertical)
Sample recipe included

Start from a cheese label that's already filled in

Cracked pepper cheddar, entered as finished cheddar plus the pepper. Cheesemaking drains away the whey, so a recipe that starts from milk would not add up: start from the USDA match for your cheese type, or type in the values from a lab report on your own cheese. Pick monterey jack or swiss instead of cheddar and the numbers follow.

Start with this recipe
IngredientAmountUnit
Cheddar cheese✓ USDA match4.4lb
Black pepper✓ USDA match2tbsp
Makes about 71 oz, eight 8 oz blocks plus trimServing 1 oz (28 g), about a 1 inch cube
Questions

Cheese label questions

Yes. Our free blank Nutrition Facts templates come as fillable PDF, Word, SVG and PNG, and the pepper cheddar on this page is already filled in. Swap in your own cheese in the free preview, then pay $29 when you want the print files. Blank Nutrition Facts Label Template →

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