Why does a 16 oz can say 473 mL and not 480 mL?

For a single-serving container, the metric amount next to the serving size is optional. If you show it, it must match the metric amount in your net contents, and 16 fl oz is 473 mL.

How do I show the caffeine content?

Caffeine you add goes in the ingredient list as "caffeine". Caffeine that comes with tea, coffee or guarana is covered by naming that ingredient. The amount in mg is voluntary and goes outside the Nutrition Facts panel, for example as a separate line with the mg per can.

My drink has added B vitamins. Do they go on the label?

Yes. A vitamin added to a beverage as a nutrient must be declared on Nutrition Facts with its % Daily Value. Our Nutrition Facts panels list the standard nutrients plus vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium; rows for B vitamins and other vitamins are part of our Supplement Facts mode.

Can your tool make an energy shot label?

Yes, in Supplement Facts mode: vitamins with their source, botanicals, proprietary blends, other dietary ingredients like caffeine marked with † for no Daily Value, and the Other ingredients line under the panel. Free preview, $29 when you want the print files.

Energy Drink Label

Energy drink label rules hang on one choice: is it a beverage or a dietary supplement? Named a drink, sold in a can like a soda to refresh you, it is a beverage with Nutrition Facts. Sold as a measured dose to supplement the diet, it can be a dietary supplement with Supplement Facts. Either way you need a name, net contents in fl oz and mL, the ingredients, allergens and your address. Our tool makes both panels.

Start with this recipe Supplement Facts Label Maker

Free preview
$29 per label
Ready to print

Energy drink label on a 16 oz can of apple black tea energy drink with a Nutrition Facts panel: 1 can, 120 calories

Checklist

What has to be on your energy drink label

Six parts on every can. The numbers match the can on the left, sold as a beverage.

Front label

BREWED BLACK TEA · REAL APPLEApple Black TeaEnergy Drink

16 FL OZ (1 PT) 473 mL

Back label

Nutrition Facts

1 serving per container

Serving size1 can (473mL)

Calories120

Total Fat 0g0%

Sodium 20mg1%

Total Carb. 31g11%

Total Sugars 27g

Incl. Added Sugars 16g32%

Protein 0g

Potassium 260mg6%

Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and iron.

INGREDIENTS: Brewed tea (water, tea), apple juice, sugar, lemon juice.

Allergens: none of the 9 major food allergens.

Made by Switchback Beverage Co.Asheville, NC 28801

1
Product name21 CFR 101.3(g)
What it is: "Apple black tea energy drink". A dietary supplement must say "dietary supplement" in its name, or name its type, like "caffeine supplement".
2
Net contents21 CFR 101.7
Fluid ounces and mL in the bottom 30% of the front. A 16 oz can is a pint: 16 FL OZ (1 PT) 473 mL.
3
Nutrition Facts or Supplement Facts21 CFR 101.9, 101.36
One panel, never both. As a beverage, a can under 24 fl oz is one serving: the whole can.
4
Ingredient list21 CFR 101.4
Heaviest first, so water or tea usually leads. Caffeine you add goes in by name. On a supplement, the inactive ingredients sit under the panel as Other ingredients.
5
Allergen statementFALCPA
Milk in a coffee energy drink, milk or soy in a protein version. The sample has none of the 9 major allergens.
6
Name and address21 CFR 101.5
Your business name, city, state and ZIP. Filled by a co-packer? "Distributed by" with your own name works.Co-Packer →

Energy drink rules

Things that are different for energy drinks

DrinkBeverage or supplement: FDA reads the whole canNames with drink, beverage, water or soda, cans that look like soft drinks, words like refresh or rehydrate and directions to drink several bottles a day all present a product as a beverage. A Supplement Facts panel does not change that. Directions to take a measured dose to supplement the diet can point the other way.FDA guidance: Distinguishing Liquid Dietary Supplements from BeveragesBeverage Labeling Requirements →

1.2 LHow much a day you tell people to drinkFDA puts the average person's daily drinking fluid intake at about 1.2 liters (40 fl oz). A serving size or daily amount that covers a big part of that, like three 16 oz bottles a day, makes the product a beverage, whatever panel it carries.FDA guidance: Distinguishing Liquid Dietary Supplements from Beverages

GRASCheck every added ingredientAn ingredient that is lawful in a supplement is not automatically allowed in a drink. In a beverage, each added substance must be generally recognized as safe for that use or approved as a food additive.FDA guidance, section III.D · 21 CFR 170.30

CaffeineNo caffeine line on Nutrition FactsOnly the nutrients FDA lists may sit inside the panel, and caffeine is not one of them. Caffeine added on its own goes in the ingredient list. Printing the milligrams elsewhere on the can is voluntary, and many brands do it.21 CFR 101.9(c) · FDA: Spilling the Beans

1 canOne can, one servingEnergy drinks without juice have a 12 fl oz (360 mL) reference amount. A still drink with fruit juice, like the sample, falls under juices and fruit drinks: 8 fl oz (240 mL). Either way an 8.4 or 16 fl oz can stays under twice the reference amount, so it is one serving: the whole can. A 24 fl oz can lands between 200% and 300%, so it gets two columns, per serving and per can.21 CFR 101.12(b), 101.9(b)(6), (b)(12)(i) · FDA RACC guidance

26%Juice in the can? Say how muchA drink with fruit juice states the percent juice near the top of the information panel. The sample is about 27% apple and lemon juice by volume, so a whole number no higher than that works: "Contains 26% juice".21 CFR 101.30(b)(1), (e), (j)Juice Label Requirements →

Sizes

Cans, shots and the label that fits

The container sets the serving and the number of columns. Find yours, then pick the matching style in the tool.

Cans, shots and the label that fits
Container	Typical label area	Style that usually fits
2 fl oz shot bottle	1.5 × 2 in	Supplement Facts, if sold as a supplement
8.4 fl oz slim can	4 × 2 in	Tabular (wide), 1 serving
12 fl oz sleek can	4.5 × 2.5 in	Standard (vertical), 1 serving
16 fl oz can	5 × 3 in	Standard (vertical), 1 servingSample
24 fl oz can	5.5 × 3.5 in	Dual column

Sample recipe included

Start from an energy drink that's already filled in

Brewed black tea brings the caffeine, apple juice and sugar bring the taste. Tick Liquid and set the serving to 1 can (473 mL). Adding caffeine powder or taurine? They are not in our ingredient library, so add them as your own ingredient with the values from your supplier's label.

Start with this recipe

Start from an energy drink that's already filled in
Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Brewed tea✓ USDA match	6	cups
Apple juice✓ USDA match	2	cups
Granulated sugar✓ USDA match	1/3	cup
Lemon juice✓ USDA match	1/4	cup

Makes about 4 cans of 16 fl ozServing 1 can (473 mL); reference amount 8 fl oz (240 mL), a still drink with juice

Questions