Food Manufacturing

Companies and individuals who process and sell food must provide a Nutrition Facts label (NFL) on their food products. However, the technical aspects of creating an NFL and meeting federal and state regulatory requirements have always challenged small and very small processors. The FDA mandates that most packaged food products bear an NFL to inform consumers of the nutritional value of the product. The FDA website provides comprehensive detail on federal regulations, but the wealth of regulatory information appears complex and overwhelming to owners of small and very small companies.

This bulletin provides a simplified guide to understanding NFL components, formatting, regulatory exemptions to labeling requirements, and answers to general questions on creating a complete and accurate NFL. The topics covered are based on questions frequently received by UGA Extension Food Science on creating NFLs for small and very small food processing companies.