7 FDA Changes Coming to Your Nutrition Facts Label In 2020 - Key Changes
I know what you're thinking: "Oh boy! New FDA nutrition facts regulations. I get to change all of my dietary supplement labels!"
Well, if you're a masochist then that's what you're thinking. For the rest of us it's more like a resigned and collective groan. But there's no use complaining (too much). The only thing to be done for it is to get on the stick and make the required changes. After all there are deadlines involved.
FDA Deadlines for Changing Your Nutrition and Supplement Facts Label
A compliance date of January 1, 2020 was set for manufacturers with more than $10 million in food/supplement sales, and January 1, 2021, for manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food/supplement sales.
What Was Removed from the Nutrition Facts Label?
Let's now take a look at the 7 FDA nutrition facts label changes from 2020 you need to know about.
Serving Size
The law states that serving sizes must be based on the amounts of foods and beverages that people are actually consuming, not what they should be consuming. Since the amount people eat and drink has changed since the previous serving size requirements were published in 1993, changes need to be made to the nutrition facts label
Package size also affects what people eat and how much they eat. Packages that are between one and two servings, for example; a 20-ounce soda or a 15-ounce can of soup, the calories and other nutrients need to be labeled as one serving because these products are usually consumed in one sitting.
Dual Serving Size Label
According to the FDA supplement label requirement, 2020 products that are larger than a single serving but are sometimes consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings require manufacturers to provide “dual column” labels to indicate the number of calories and nutrients on both a “per serving” and “per package”/“per unit” basis.
If, heretofore, any of the nutrition facts (NF) or supplement facts (SF) on your labels included the declaration of “Calories from fat”, you can remove them. It is no longer required or allowed.
Added Sugars
A new requirement is changing “Sugars” to “Total Sugars” and including a declaration of the gram (g) amount of “added sugars” in a serving of a product, along with a percent Daily Value (DV) declaration for added sugars. The declaration should be “Includes ‘X’ g Added Sugars”, indented and declared directly below “Total Sugars”. Also, maltodextrin now counts as a sugar under the new FDA regulations.
Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber should be one indent under Total Carbohydrates. It should be noted that prebiotics (such as FOS) can no longer be counted as dietary fiber. In fact, dietary fibers are now defined as being from one of the following: beta-glucan, psyllium husk, cellulose, guar gum, pectin, locust bean gum, or HPMC.
New Daily Values
The new regulations come complete with updated daily values (DVs). In addition, some of the units of measurement are also different. Vitamin A, D and E are no longer measured in IUs, but are now measured in mcg RAE, mcg and mg, respectively. Also, choline now has a DV. Here is a comparison of the old and new:
| Nutrient | Old Daily Value | New Daily Value |
| Fat | 65 g | 78 g |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300 g | 275 g |
| Sodium | 2400 mg | 2300 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 25 g | 28 g |
| Added Sugar | n/a | 50 g |
| Protein | 50 g | 50 g |
| Vitamin A | 5000 IU | 900 mcg RAE |
| Vitamin C | 60 mg | 90 mg |
| Calcium | 1000 mg | 1300 mg |
| Vitamin D | 400 IU | 20 mcg |
| Vitamin E | 30 IU | 15 mg |
| Vitamin K | 80 mcg | 120 mcg |
| Thiamin | 1.5 mg | 1.2 mg |
| Riboflavin | 1.7 mg | 1.3 mg |
| Niacin | 20 mg | 16 mg NE |
| Vitamin B6 | 2 mg | 1.7 mg |
| Folate | 400 mcg | 400 mcg DFE |
| Vitamin B12 | 6 mcg | 2.4 mcg |
| Biotin | 300 mcg | 30 mcg |
| Pantothenic Acid | 10 mg | 5 mg |
| Phosphorous | 1000 mg | 1250 mg |
| Magnesium | 400 mg | 420 mg |
| Zinc | 15 mg | 11 mg |
| Selenium | 70 mcg | 55 mcg |
| Copper | 2 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Manganese | 2 mg | 2.3 mg |
| Chromium | 120 mcg | 35 mcg |
| Molybdenum | 75 mcg | 45 mcg |
| Chloride | 3400 mg | 2300 mg |
| Potassium | 3500 mg | 4700 mg |
| Choline | n/a | 550 mg |
"Calories" in the Nutrition Facts Box
The line item for declaration of calories in the Nutrition Facts box needs to appear two font sizes larger than the other line items. However, this does not need to be done for calories in the Supplement Facts box.
Footnote Reference Values
Previously, a footnote table was required in the Nutrition Facts box, listing the reference values (‘Daily Values’) for certain nutrients for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets. This is no longer required and can be removed.
What Does the New Nutrition Facts Label Look Like?
Here's an example of what the new nutrition facts label should look like, as per the FDA's website:
Are There More Nutritional Supplement Label Changes?
Of course, there are more FDA label changes, but these are the highlights. If you work with a qualified and experienced supplement contract manufacturer, like NutraScience Labs, they can help assure that you make all the necessary label changes to be compliant with the new regulations.
To learn more about how the FDA regulates the dietary supplement industry, watch this podcast that I recorded with our Vice President of Sales, Blayney McEneaney:
For more information about how we can help you create a high-quality dietary supplement with an FDA-compliant nutrition supplement label, call (855) 492-7388 to speak to one of our knowledgeable representatives or send us your request to receive a free nutraceutical manufacturing price quote.
