Ice Cream Label
Ice cream label rules start with the name. "Ice cream" is a federal standard, so your recipe needs at least 10% milkfat, enough milk solids and a weight of at least 4.5 pounds per gallon to use it. Then come the net contents in fluid ounces, measured frozen, the ingredient list, the milk allergen, your name and address and Nutrition Facts per 2/3 cup. A pint holds exactly three servings, so it gets two columns. Enter your recipe and get the whole back panel.
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What has to be on your ice cream label
Front of the carton: the name and the net contents. Back: the rest. The numbers match the quart on the left.
- 1Name with the flavor21 CFR 135.110(f)"Ice cream" with its flavor: "Vanilla ice cream". The flavor word must be at least half as tall as the words "ice cream".
- 2Net contents, measured frozen21 CFR 101.7(b)(2)(i)Fluid ounces in the bottom 30% of the front, measured at the frozen temperature. From a pint up, add the bigger unit: 16 FL OZ (1 PT) 473 mL, 32 FL OZ (1 QT) 946 mL.
- 3Nutrition Facts21 CFR 101.9Per 2/3 cup, with the grams in parentheses. Weigh a level 2/3 cup of your hardened ice cream, because the air churned in changes the weight.
- 4Ingredient list21 CFR 101.4Heaviest first, so cream or milk usually leads. Cookie pieces, fudge swirls and other mix-ins show their own ingredients in parentheses.
- 5Allergen statementFALCPAMilk on every ice cream. Then whatever the mix-ins bring: egg in a custard base, wheat in cookie dough, the exact nut in butter pecan.
- 6Name and address21 CFR 101.5Who made or packed it, with city, state and ZIP. A co-packer churns it for you? Use "Made for" or "Distributed by".Co-Packer →
Things that are different for ice cream
Ice cream containers and the label that fits
The container decides the number of servings and whether you need a second column. Find yours, then pick the matching style in the tool.
| Container | Typical label area | Style that usually fits |
|---|---|---|
| 4 fl oz cup | 2.5 × 1.5 in | Small package (linear), 1 serving |
| Pint (16 fl oz) | 3 × 3 in | Dual column or Wide dual columnTwo columns |
| Quart (32 fl oz) | 3.5 × 4 in | Standard (vertical) |
| 1.5 quart carton | 4 × 4 in | Standard (vertical) |
Start from a vanilla ice cream that's already filled in
Philadelphia-style vanilla: no eggs, so it stays ice cream and never turns into frozen custard. The label uses 130 g per 2/3 cup, a dense, slow-churned texture. Weigh a level 2/3 cup of yours after hardening and enter that weight: more air means fewer grams and fewer calories per serving.
| Ingredient | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy cream✓ USDA match | 2 | cups |
| Whole milk✓ USDA match | 1 | cup |
| Granulated sugar✓ USDA match | 3/4 | cup |
| Nonfat dry milk✓ USDA match | 1 | oz |
| Vanilla extract✓ USDA match | 1 | tbsp |
| Salt✓ USDA match | 1/8 | tsp |
Ice cream label questions
Three. The reference amount is 2/3 cup and a pint is 2 cups. That is exactly 300% of the reference amount, so the Nutrition Facts panel needs a second column for the whole pint.
FDA's frozen dessert standards cover ice cream and frozen custard, goat's milk ice cream, mellorine, sherbet and water ices. Gelato is not one of them. If your gelato has less than 10% milkfat, keep the words ice cream off the label.
It has its own standard: 1 to 2% milkfat, at least 6 pounds per gallon and a fruit or other characterizing flavor. The serving is the same 2/3 cup.
You may. The ice cream standard also lets you declare the dairy ingredients together as "milkfat and nonfat milk", in order of weight, when they come from cream, milk, skim milk or nonfat dry milk.
The cookie dough shows its own ingredients in parentheses, and the Contains line grows: most doughs bring milk, egg and wheat. Check your supplier's label for each mix-in. Add a Custom Ingredient to Your Nutrition Label →
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