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Making a Nutrition Label

Making a nutrition label comes down to this: list your recipe with amounts, look up the nutrients of each ingredient, divide by your servings, round every value with the FDA rules, then add the ingredient list and allergens. Our free tool does the lookups and the math, so you can create your own Nutrition Facts label in one sitting.

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Making a nutrition label: a hand-written cookie recipe next to the finished Nutrition Facts label made from it
What is free

Follow along with the free tool

Every step below happens in the same screen. No account needed.

Recipe in, label outType your recipe the way you'd write it for a friend. The label builds as you go.
USDA lookupsEach ingredient matched to USDA FoodData Central. You confirm every match.
Serving size helpWe suggest the FDA reference amount for your type of food.
FDA roundingCalories, fats, sodium and the rest rounded the way the FDA asks.
The steps

Making a nutrition label in 7 steps

This is the same order a food scientist would follow. The tool handles steps 2 to 6 for you.

  1. 1Write down your recipeList every ingredient with its amount for one batch: "2 1/4 cups flour", "8 oz butter", "3 eggs". Note how many pieces the batch makes.
  2. 2Find the nutrients of each ingredientLook up each ingredient in USDA FoodData Central, the government's food composition data. Use the entry that matches what you buy.
  3. 3Add your branded ingredientsFor chocolate chips, sauces or mixes, copy the numbers from the supplier's own Nutrition Facts panel.
  4. 4Set the serving sizeStart from the FDA reference amount for your food type, then state it in a household measure (1 cookie, 2 tbsp) and in grams. Work out servings per container.
  5. 5Round every value the FDA wayEach nutrient has its own rule. 47 calories becomes 45, 143 mg of sodium becomes 140. Then work out the % Daily Values.
  6. 6Write the ingredient list and allergensList ingredients from heaviest to lightest, then add a "Contains" line for any of the 9 major allergens.
  7. Pick a format and printChoose the label layout that fits your package, then export a file for your designer or print on label sheets.
Your options

Three ways to get the numbers

Calculate from your recipeFast and low cost. Works well for recipes made from standard ingredients. This is what our tool does.
Send a sample to a food labThe lab measures your finished product. Useful when cooking changes the food a lot, like frying, or when you can't get data for an ingredient.
Do it by handPossible with a spreadsheet and USDA data, but the rounding rules and layout take time to get right for every nutrient.FDA Nutrition Facts Rounding Rules →
When you pay

Pay only when you print

$29Single labelMost chosenDownload PDF, SVG or PNG, print on sheets, and get the calculation report. Kept for 2 years.
$69Bundles3 labels. Or 10 for $199. Credits never expire.
$399/yrUnlimitedThat is $33.25 a month. Every label for your own company, price locked while you stay.
Questions

Questions about making a nutrition label

Something else? Send us a question. We reply by email as soon as we can.

Yes. The FDA does not approve individual food labels before you sell. You are responsible for getting the label right, which is why we show the source and rounding of every number.

Keep reading

Related pages

GuideThe FDA Nutrition Facts labelToolDo I Need a Nutrition Label?ToolNutrition Label from RecipeFormatsNutrition Facts Label FormatsCostHow Much Does a Nutrition Label Cost?LABEL MAKERNutrition Label Maker

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