High protein claim, good source of protein claim and more
| Claim words | Protein per reference amount | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| "High protein", "rich in protein", "excellent source of protein" | 20% of the Daily Value or more (10 g or more of corrected protein) | 21 CFR 101.54(b) |
| "Good source of protein", "contains protein", "provides protein" | 10 to 19% of the Daily Value | 21 CFR 101.54(c) |
| "More protein", "added", "extra", "plus", "fortified", "enriched" | At least 10% of the Daily Value more than a reference food | 21 CFR 101.54(e) |
The Daily Value for protein is 50 g for adults and children 4 years and older. So 20% is 10 g and 10% is 5 g, after the quality correction described below.
The PDCAAS rule: why 15 g isn't always 15 g
Without a claim, protein appears in grams only and the % Daily Value is optional. Make a protein claim and the %DV becomes required. That percentage is not grams divided by 50. FDA first corrects the grams for protein quality:
- Corrected protein = grams of protein per serving × the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS)
- A score above 1.00 is set at 1.00, so a correction can only lower the grams
- % Daily Value = corrected grams ÷ 50 g, to the nearest whole percent, printed in the %DV column next to the grams
- The score comes from the methods in the FAO/WHO expert report named in the regulation. Ask your protein supplier or a lab for it
Very low quality protein has its own rule, claim or not. If the PDCAAS is under 20%, the label must add "not a significant source of protein" next to the grams, or show the corrected %DV.
Example: does a Greek yogurt cup make the high protein claim?
Our engine puts plain Greek yogurt at 15 g protein per 170 g, which is FDA's reference amount for yogurt. Here is how the protein quality score decides the claim. The two scores are examples to show the math, not values for this yogurt.
| Example PDCAAS | Corrected protein | % Daily Value | Strongest claim allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 | 15 × 1.00 = 15 g | 30% | "High protein" or "excellent source of protein" |
| 0.60 | 15 × 0.60 = 9 g | 18% | "Good source of protein" only |
One more check: saturated fat shows as 4 g, right at the 4.0 g trigger. If the unrounded value in the calculation report is over 4.0 g, any protein claim must be followed by "See nutrition information for saturated fat content".
Nutrition Label Documentation: The Calculation Report →"More protein" and "added protein" claims
- Per reference amount, 10% or more of the Daily Value above the protein in the reference food
- Next to the most prominent claim: the reference food and the percentage of the Daily Value that is greater
- Next to that claim or the Nutrition Facts panel: the protein amounts in your product and in the reference food
- "Added", "extra", "plus", "fortified" and "enriched" compare with a similar food. "More" may also compare with a different food that can replace it in the diet
- Protein you add to reach the claim must follow FDA's fortification policy
Protein claims on meals and main dishes
A meal or main dish can't simply say "high protein". It may use high or good source only when one food in it qualifies and the label names that food. FDA's pattern, for fiber, reads "the serving of sweet potatoes in this product is a good source of fiber". For "more" claims, meals and main dishes compare per 100 g instead of per reference amount.
Our tool prints protein in grams, not the corrected %DV
Nutrition Label Studio calculates protein in grams from USDA data and rounds it the FDA way: to the nearest gram, with less than 0.5 g shown as 0 g. That is all a label without a protein claim needs.
It does not know your PDCAAS, so it doesn't print a protein %DV, and it does not check protein claims. If you make a claim, work out the corrected %DV with the steps above and have it added to the protein line on your artwork. The SVG export makes that edit easy for a designer.