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Sauerkraut Label

Sauerkraut label essentials: the name, the net weight of kraut and brine, an ingredient list that is often just cabbage and salt, a look at allergens, who made it and where and, unless an exemption covers you, Nutrition Facts per 1 oz of drained sauerkraut with a visual unit like 3 tbsp. Enter your batch and get the label for your jar or pouch, ready to print.

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Sauerkraut label on a 16 oz glass jar of classic fermented sauerkraut with a Nutrition Facts panel: 5 calories and 260 mg sodium per 1 oz
Checklist

What has to be on your sauerkraut label

Six items split over the jar: two up front, four on the back. Values come from the classic kraut sample.

Front label
KEEP REFRIGERATED · SMALL BATCHClassicSauerkraut
NET WT 16 OZ (1 LB) 454g
Back label
Nutrition Facts
about 14 servings per container
Serving size1 oz (28g/about 3 tbsp)
Calories5
Total Fat 0g0%
Sodium 260mg11%
Total Carb. 2g1%
Total Sugars Less than 1g
Protein 0g
Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, added sugars, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
INGREDIENTS: Cabbage, salt.
Allergens: none of the 9 major food allergens.
Fermented by Crock & Stone Kraut Co.Madison, WI 53703
  1. 1
    Name21 CFR 101.3
    "Sauerkraut", "Garlic dill sauerkraut", "Red cabbage sauerkraut". Your brand sits above it.
  2. 2
    Net weight21 CFR 101.7(a)
    Kraut in its brine is a mix of solid and liquid, so it goes by weight: everything in the jar, in ounces and grams.
  3. 3
    Nutrition Facts21 CFR 101.9
    Per 1 oz of drained sauerkraut, with a visual unit in tablespoons. Sodium is the line that stands out.
  4. 4
    Ingredient list21 CFR 101.4
    Heaviest first. Added a brine of salt water? Water and salt both go in. Caraway, juniper, carrots or garlic each get their own name.
  5. 5
    Allergen checkFALCPA
    Cabbage and salt carry none of the nine. A fermented vegetable with fish sauce or shrimp paste must name the fish or the shellfish.
  6. 6
    Name and address21 CFR 101.5
    The fermenter or packer, plus city, state and ZIP. Cottage food sellers: check your state for extra required lines.
Sauerkraut rules

Things that are different for sauerkraut

FermentedNaturally fermented is not acidifiedFDA does not treat naturally fermented products as acidified foods, and it names sauerkraut as an example. Its definition: salted or held in brine, fermented in containers for one week or more, and down to pH 4.6 or below at the end without any added acid. Some acid may be added before fermentation to steer it.FDA Compliance Program 7303.070
VinegarQuick kraut can be an acidified foodWhen a kraut reaches pH 4.6 only because vinegar was added, FDA counts it as an acidified food, with registration and process filing for a shelf-stable jar, unless it is kept refrigerated or its water activity is below 0.85. Rinsing the old brine off a fermented kraut? FDA checks the pH after the wash: above 4.6 it is a low-acid food.21 CFR 114.3(b); FDA Compliance Program 7303.070Process Authority →
30 gServing: 1 oz of drained krautFDA's product list files sauerkraut with pickles and pickled vegetables: a 30 g reference amount, labeled as 1 oz (28g) plus a visual unit. Packed in liquid, that amount is the drained solids. USDA weighs a cup of sauerkraut at 142 g, so 1 oz is about 3 tablespoons.21 CFR 101.12(b), Table 2, note 10
< 1gSugars after fermentationLactic acid bacteria make their acid from the sugars in the cabbage. A recipe calculation starts from raw cabbage and cannot see what the bacteria used up, so it shows the sugars before fermentation. Here that is still less than 1 g per serving. For exact numbers on a finished batch, a lab analysis is the way.21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(ii)
GFGluten-free on a fermented foodFermented foods cannot be measured reliably by the usual gluten tests, so a gluten-free sauerkraut needs records showing the food met the definition before fermentation and that you checked for gluten cross-contact. Our tool does not check claims.21 CFR 101.91(c)(2)FDA Gluten-Free Label Requirements →
Batch #Kraut from a home kitchenStates split on this. Texas allows fermented vegetables as cottage food, with a batch number on every label. Michigan keeps sauerkraut off its cottage food list.Texas Cottage Food Law →
Sizes

Sauerkraut jars, pouches and the label that fits

Wide-mouth jars give you a generous wrap; pouches need a panel on the back. Try each format in the tool before you print.

ContainerTypical label areaStyle that usually fits
8 oz half-pint jar5.5 × 1.75 inTabular (wide)
16 oz wide-mouth jar6 × 2.5 inTabular (wide)Sample
16 oz refrigerated pouch3.5 × 4 inStandard (vertical)
32 oz quart jar3.5 × 5 inStandard (vertical)Avery 5168
Sample recipe included

Start from a classic sauerkraut that's already filled in

Five pounds of shredded cabbage and three tablespoons of salt, about 2.4% salt by weight. The serving is drained kraut, so for servings per container we counted a 16 oz jar as about 14 oz of drained sauerkraut; drain and weigh one of yours. Add a spoonful of caraway or dill seed and it joins the ingredient list by weight.

Start with this recipe
IngredientAmountUnit
Cabbage✓ USDA match5lb
Salt✓ USDA match3tbsp
Makes about 5 jars (16 oz) with the brineServing 1 oz (28 g/about 3 tbsp); reference amount 30 g
Questions

Sauerkraut label questions

Not always. Small businesses that make no nutrition claims can be exempt from Nutrition Facts, and cottage food laws set their own label rules. The name, net weight, ingredients and your address are needed either way. Our free quiz checks the federal exemption in a minute. Do I Need a Nutrition Label? →

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