FDA Protein Requirements

The FDA regulates protein by determining the recommended daily amount and how the food must be labeled. Protein can be consumed through two different sources, animal proteins and vegetable proteins. The average American consumes one to two times the recommended daily allowance. Muscles are built from protein, so in order to keep our muscles functioning properly, we must consume enough protein.

Recommended Daily Intake

• The FDA has set the recommended daily intake for the average person to 50 grams. To determine the exact amount of protein recommended to be consumed in a day, multiply .8 by your weight in kilograms. A person weighing 150 pounds, or 68 kilograms, would need to consume 54.4 grams of protein.

Simplified label

• The FDA regulates that if protein, and six other nutrients, are not in a food source or there is only a very small amount present, a simplified label can be used. If there is less than 1 gram of a given nutrient, such as protein, it may be listed as zero. On a simplified label, only the amount of the nutrient, calories and any added minerals need to be listed.

Foods for Children Under Four

• The "Nutrition Facts" label on any foods meant for children under four will have two columns. The first column will contain the name of the nutrient, and the second column will have the amount of the nutrient. The bottom section of the box will only contain the percentage of daily value for protein and added minerals. This is different from nutritional labels for adult food, as the adult food label will contain a percentage of daily value as a third column for all of the nutrients and minerals.