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Mandatory Components on a Food Label

In the early 20th century, food packages were mysterious, often deadly containers. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 created the precursor to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and began protecting the public from unsafe, poorly labeled food products. Today, food packaging must adhere to strict rules governing the information it provides and where those messages appear on the label.

  1. The Principal Display Panel (PDP)

    • The principal display panel (PDP) is the front label panel, the area of a food package the consumer is most likely to see on a grocery store shelf. Some packages (particularly boxes and other flat-sided containers) include more than one surface that can serve as the PDP. The name of the food ("statement of identity") and the amount of product in the container ("net quantity statement") must appear on the PDP.

    The Information Panel

    • The Information Panel is immediately to the right of the PDP. The name and address of the entity that manufactured, packed or distributed the food, the ingredient list and the Nutrition Facts must appear on the Information Panel. These items must not be interrupted by any non-essential information ("intervening material") such as a graphic or bar code. They must be typeset in easy-to-read lettering large enough that a lower-case "o" is 1/16 inch tall.

    Food Allergens

    • Allergen labeling began in 2006. If a packaged food contains milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy or wheat, its labeling must indicate their presence. If a food is manufactured in a facility that processes these items, the package must say so even if the allergens aren't ingredients of the food itself.

    Nutrition Facts

    • The Nutrition Facts portion of the Information Panel analyzes the food's calorie value, fat content, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, protein and the percent of a daily recommended allowance of various vitamins and minerals supplied by a serving of the food. While some people don't read this area because they're in a hurry or their language skills are poor, most consumers appreciate the information it supplies.

    Front-of-Package Symbols

    • The FDA is concerned that the use of symbols to suggest a food is "healthy," part of a manufacturer program of "smart choices" or otherwise preferable to another food may give consumers misleading impressions of nutritional value. While some of these claims and symbols aren't yet regulated, the FDA has the power to do so.

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