Can You Label Your Food Low-Calorie or Calorie-Free? The FDA Rule
Low-calorie and calorie-free look like plain descriptions, but they are defined claims with hard limits. Print one and the FDA holds your serving to the number. Here is where the lines fall.
Calorie-free means under five calories
Calorie-free is less than 5 calories in a serving. Zero calories and no calories mean the same limit. It is a strict line, so most foods with any real substance will not reach it.
Low-calorie means 40 calories or less
Low-calorie is 40 calories or less in a serving. Because a small serving could otherwise game the rule, the FDA measures against a set 50-gram amount when the normal serving is tiny. Meals and main dishes use a different per-100-gram limit.
Light has its own rules
Light, or lite, is not free to use either. For calories it usually means a third fewer calories than the regular version, or the food is already low-fat or low-calorie and the fat was cut in half. The label has to say what it is light in and compared to what.
What Nutripane does and does not do
Nutripane calculates calories per serving from USDA values and builds the panel. It does not confirm that your serving lands under the calorie-free or low-calorie limit, since that depends on your recipe and serving size. Treat the calorie number as a solid estimate, confirm it before you print the claim, and check the current FDA rule.
Questions
What counts as low-calorie?
The FDA sets low-calorie at 40 calories or less in a serving, and calorie-free at under 5 calories. If your normal serving is very small, the limit is measured against a set 50-gram amount so a tiny serving cannot slip under the number unfairly.
Does a low-calorie claim need a Nutrition Facts panel?
Yes. A calorie claim is a nutrient content claim, so it requires a full Nutrition Facts panel and removes the exemption that lets some cottage sellers skip it. Count on providing the panel if you make the claim.
Keep reading
This page is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food and food labeling rules vary by state and change over time. Confirm current requirements with your state's cottage food program and the FDA before you sell. See your state's rules or how to label your product.