Nutrition label font & size requirements

Inside the Nutrition Facts panel

• Minimum 8-point typefor the panel's information on standard packages, in a single easy-to-read style, black (or one color) on a white or neutral contrasting background.
• “Nutrition Facts” is the largest text on the panel, set in highly visible bold type that spans the panel's width.
• Calories get special prominencesince the 2016 redesign. The calorie number is the biggest numeral on the label (FDA's specimen sets it around 22 pt with a 16 pt “Calories” heading on the standard format).
• Rules (the black bars) are part of the spec.The thick 7–8 pt bars above “Amount per serving” and the vitamin section, and hairlines between nutrients, are required graphic elements, not decoration.
• Small packages (limited label space) may use the tabular or linear format with reduced type, down to roughly 6-point under 101.9(j)(13), but legibility requirements still apply.

The FDA's specimen labels use Helvetica, and Helvetica/Arial-class faces are the near-universal convention. Technically the rule demands a single, highly legible type style rather than one named font, but if you stray from the specimen look, expect questions from reviewers and buyers.

The rest of the label: the 1/16-inch rule

Outside the panel, required statements (ingredient list, allergen declaration, your name and address) generally must be at least 1/16 inch tall, measured by the height of a lowercase “o”, roughly 6-point type in most faces. Cramped, decorative, or low-contrast type that defeats legibility can render a label misbranded even at the right size.

Net weight has its own size ladder

The net quantity statement scales with your package's principal display panel area. See the net weight guide for the ladder.