Package size sets the rules
FDA measures your package by its total surface area available to bear labeling, and that number decides which formats and type sizes you may use. Two thresholds matter: 12 square inches and 40 square inches.
Under 12 square inches: you can omit the panel
On a small package with less than 12 square inches of available label space, you may leave the Nutrition Facts panel off entirely — provided you print an address or phone number consumers can use to request the nutrition information, and you make no nutrient content claim or other nutrition statement on the label (see [21 CFR 101.9](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-A/section-101.9), paragraph (j)(13)). Think stick gum, hard candy, or single condiment packets. If you do show the nutrition, the type can be as small as 4.5 point.
The exemption evaporates the moment you make a claim. Put 'low sugar' or 'good source of fiber' on that tiny package and you owe the full nutrition label — the same trap that ends the small-business exemption.
12 to 40 square inches: tabular or linear
When a package has 40 square inches or less and the standard vertical column won't fit, FDA allows two compact layouts:
- Tabular (horizontal) format — the panel laid out side-to-side instead of top-to-bottom. This is the first fallback when the vertical column doesn't fit.
- Linear (string) format — the whole panel run together as a single paragraph of text. It's allowed only when even the tabular display won't fit, so it's reserved for the smallest labels.
For intermediate packages (12–40 square inches), type must be at least 6 point — with 4.5 point allowed in tight cases (under 20 square inches with more than 8 nutrients to list, or 20–40 square inches with more than 16 nutrients).
| Available label area | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Under 12 sq in | Omit the panel with an address/phone number, or show it (linear/tabular) at type ≥ 4.5 pt |
| 12–40 sq in | Tabular format — or linear only if tabular won't fit; type ≥ 6 pt (4.5 pt in tight cases) |
| Over 40 sq in | Standard vertical Nutrition Facts panel |
Other formats you may run into
- Dual-column — for packages holding one-to-two or two-to-three servings, showing per-serving and per-container. See dual-column labeling.
- Aggregate — a single panel for a variety or multi-pack where the units differ.
- Bilingual — English and Spanish (required in Puerto Rico; common for Hispanic-market products).
Picking the right format
Measure the label area you actually have, then work down the tiers: standard vertical if it fits, tabular if not, linear only as a last resort, and the address/phone omission for the tiniest packages. The Nutrition Facts label generator builds the panel, and the dual-column format is one of the layouts available.
These format rules are for FDA products. Meat, poultry, and egg products follow USDA FSIS formatting and label pre-approval — see FDA or USDA.