The Principal Display Panel: What Goes on the Front of a Food Label
Food labeling talks a lot about the principal display panel, or PDP. It is a plain idea with a formal name: the front of your package, the part a shopper sees on the shelf. The FDA sets two things that have to appear there and how they should look.
What the principal display panel is
The principal display panel is the part of the package most likely to face the buyer at the point of sale. On a box it is a whole face. On a jar or a bag it is the area a shopper sees head on. Its size sets some of the type-size rules, so it helps to know which face is your PDP before you lay anything out.
The two things that go on the front
Two required elements belong on the principal display panel: the statement of identity and the net quantity of contents. The statement of identity is the common name of the food, what it actually is, in bold, easy-to-read type, generally set parallel to the base as the package sits. The net quantity is how much is inside.
- Statement of identity: the common name of the food, prominent and parallel to the base
- Net quantity of contents: the amount inside, placed in the bottom 30 percent of the panel, usually in both US and metric units
The information panel holds the rest
Everything else groups on the information panel, the area immediately to the right of the principal display panel as the buyer faces it, or the back if the right side is not usable. That is where the ingredient list, the allergen statement, your name and address, and the Nutrition Facts panel go, together and not split up by unrelated text.
Getting the front right
The two front elements are small but exact: the name has to be honest and prominent, and the net weight sits low on the panel in the correct units. Nutripane builds the net quantity line and the rest of the required elements from your recipe. Confirm the type sizes against the FDA rule if your package is unusually small or large, since the thresholds scale with the panel area.
Questions
What is the principal display panel on a food label?
The principal display panel, or PDP, is the part of the package a shopper is most likely to see at the point of sale, usually the front. The FDA requires the statement of identity, the product's common name, and the net quantity of contents to appear there.
Where does net weight go on a package?
The net quantity of contents goes on the principal display panel, the front, placed in the bottom 30 percent of the panel and generally parallel to the base of the package. It is usually shown in both US customary and metric units.
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.