Skip to content
Fullscript leaf logo
Create account
Fullscript logo
Fullscript leaf logo
  • Solutions
    • Plan care
      Lab testing Offer end-to-end diagnostics.
      Supplement catalog Recommend healthcare’s best.
      Clinical decision support Optimize your patients’ plans.
      Evidence-based templates Build complete plans quickly.
    • Deliver care
      Online plans Send individual and multi-patient plans.
      Wholesale ordering Dispense supplements from your clinic.
    • Engage patients
      Patient experience See how patients thrive on Fullscript.
      Adherence & insights Keep patients on track with less effort.
      Patient promotions Offer savings, engage patients in a few clicks.
    • IntegrationsSee all integrations
  • Resources
    • Learn
      How to use Fullscript Explore quick demos, articles, and more.
      Wellness blog Education for practitioners and patients.
      Webinars 100+ recordings of practitioner discussions.
      Protocols Our library of evidence-based protocols.
      Clinical evidence Studies that support the Fullscript platform.
      Practice resources Handouts, promotional tools, and more.
      Ingredient library Decision support for supplement ingredients.
    • Featured
      lets make healthcare whole kyle feature image
      Let’s Make Healthcare Whole

      Learn how Fullscript is making whole person care more attainable, scalable, and impactful.

  • Pricing
Sign in Create account Book a demo Sign in
Integrative Medicine
—

Everything To Know About The Upcoming FDA Nutrition Facts Label Changes

Updated on October 12, 2023 | Published on December 11, 2019
Fact checked
Karolina Zaremba, CNP Avatar
Written by Karolina Zaremba, CNP
Dr. Alex Keller, ND
Medically reviewed by Dr. Alex Keller, ND
  1. Wellness blog
  2. Everything To Know About The Upcoming FDA Nutri...

As of January 1, 2020, you may notice changes to the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels found on foods and dietary supplements. These changes come as a result of the new U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements that will reflect updated research on nutrition and health. The new labels are designed to help individuals make better-informed, healthy dietary choices for themselves and their families. (6)

This article outlines everything you need to know about the upcoming label changes.

Dietary supplement labels history

In the United States, dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). This act, passed on October 25th, 1994, defined the terms “dietary supplement” and “new dietary ingredient” (NDI). The DSHEA established a requirement for supplement manufacturers to notify the FDA of an NDI before introducing the product to the market. (5) The DSHEA also outlined requirements for dietary supplement labels, such as:

  • The name of each ingredient
  • The quantity of each ingredient
  • The total quantity of a proprietary blend
  • Specifications on which health claims may or may not be included (2)

The FDA announced the upcoming label changes on May 20th, 2016, which will affect both the Nutrition Facts label (found on food) and the Supplement Facts label (found on dietary supplements). (7)

Young woman sitting on a sofa reading a supplement label.
Supplement labels contain important information regarding the nutrients and ingredients in the product.

Upcoming label changes

With the upcoming changes, all manufacturers of food products and dietary supplements will be affected. Manufacturers with over $10 million in annual sales are required to use the new label format as of January 1st, 2020. Manufacturers with under $10 million in sales will transition to the new label by January 1st, 2021. (6)

Changes to the Nutrition Facts label

The ultimate goal of these changes is to help individuals improve the quality of their diets by emphasizing the caloric content of foods, as well as identifying added sugars and nutrients that are commonly deficient. (6)

Changes that you will notice with the new Nutrition Facts label are outlined below.

  1. The number of calories, the number of servings, and the serving size will be in larger bold font to assist with tracking calorie intake.
  2. Servings size requirements have been adjusted based on recent consumption data. Additionally, for packages containing more than one serving, the calories and nutrients are listed per serving and per package. (6)
  3. To help monitor your intake of added sugars, the amount of added sugars and percent of calories from added sugars will be listed. While the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (4) recommend that added sugars account for less than ten percent of total calories consumed per day, further limiting added sugars may have additional benefits, such as a reduced risk of dental caries (cavities). (8)
  4. Vitamin D and potassium content will be required on the label. Meanwhile, vitamins A and C will no longer be required but may be listed voluntarily. These changes were made to reflect common nutrient deficiencies currently seen in the general population.
  5. The number of calories from fats will be removed on the new label. This change was intended to emphasize the importance of the type of fat as opposed to the total amount. For instance, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may provide health benefits by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  6. The daily values of listed nutrients, including dietary fiber, sodium, and vitamin D, will be updated. These new amounts will be used to calculate the % Daily Value. (6)

View the FDA’s fact sheet on the “New and Improved Nutrition Facts Label” here.

supplements in a white container next to supplement bottle
The FDA label changes rely on updated scientific evidence of the associations between health and disease.

Changes to the Supplement Facts label

Similar to the Nutrition Facts label, the new FDA regulations will result in changes to the dietary supplement labels, including:

  • The measurement units for vitamins A and D will change from international units (IU) to micrograms (mcg)
  • The measurement unit for vitamin E will change from IU to milligrams (mg)
  • As folate and folic acid are no longer considered equivalent, they will be reported in Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE) with micrograms of folic acid in parentheses
  • Niacin will be reported as milligrams Niacin Equivalents (mg NE) (3)
  • As with the Nutrition Facts label, vitamins A, C, and calories from fat will no longer be required. Instead, vitamin D, potassium, and added sugars will be required.
  • The daily values of nutrients will be updated to reflect current scientific evidence (5)

The changes announced in 2016 also include a definition of “dietary fiber”. The Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels may include both naturally-occurring fibers, found intact in plants, and certain added, isolated or synthetic non-digestible carbohydrates (dietary fiber). (1)

The FDA currently recognizes the following ingredients as non-digestible carbohydrates:

  • Beta-glucan soluble fiber
  • Cellulose
  • Guar gum
  • Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose
  • Locust bean gum
  • Pectin
  • Psyllium husk (1)

The new Nutrition Facts label

The image below indicates the differences between the original and new FDA Nutrition Facts labels.

image indicating the differences between the original and new FDA Nutrition Facts labels
The above label changes will be required between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021, depending on the brand.For information on how to read a Supplement Facts label, go to the Fullscript blog.

The bottom line

Understanding the upcoming changes to the Nutrition Facts labels on food and the Supplement Facts label on dietary supplements can help you to make informed choices for your health. Keep in mind, you may see both the old and new Nutrition Facts label on food products or dietary supplements during the transition period until January 1st, 2021, after which all labels will be updated. (7) For further information regarding dietary supplements, labeling, safety, and more visit the FDA’s “Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements“.

Simplify the delivery of whole person care

Create free account I'm a patient
References
  1. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (2018). Questions and answers on dietary fiber. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/questions-and-answers-dietary-fiber
  2. National Institutes of Health. (1994). Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.
  3. National Institutes of Health. (2019). Unit Conversions. Retrieved from https://dietarysupplementdatabase.usda.nih.gov/
  4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2015). 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. Retrieved from http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
  5. U. S. Food and Drug Administration. (2016). Dietary supplements: New dietary ingredient notifications and related issues: Guidance for industry. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/media/99538/download
  6. U. S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Nutrition facts label. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/nutrition-facts-label
  7. U. S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019). Nutrition education resources & materials. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/nutrition-education-resources-materials
  8. World Health Organization. (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/

Author

Karolina Zaremba, CNP Avatar
Written by Karolina Zaremba, CNP
Dr. Alex Keller, ND
Medically reviewed by Dr. Alex Keller, ND

Disclaimer

The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

SHARE THIS POST
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

More resources

Protocols
Practice resources
Ingredient library
Webinars

Make healthcare whole with Fullscript

Join 100,000+ providers building the future of whole person care today.

Create free account

Read more articles

Updates
—Patient Feedback Systems in Healthcare: A Practical Framework for Clinical Leaders
Transform patient feedback into care improvement with this evidence-based, 4-phase framework designe...
Practice Management
—Hybrid Supplement Dispensing: How One Functional Medicine Clinic Transformed Care
Discover how a functional medicine clinic used hybrid supplement dispensing with Fullscript to boost...
Article
—Accessing Creatine Potency
Creatine supports muscle health and performance, but quality varies. Fullscript’s Quality Program te...

Fullscript content philosophy

At Fullscript, we are committed to curating accurate, and reliable educational content for providers and patients alike. Our educational offerings cover a broad range of topics related to whole person care, such as supplement ingredients, diet, lifestyle, and health conditions.

Medically reviewed by expert practitioners and our internal Medical Advisory Team, all Fullscript content adheres to the following guidelines:

  1. In order to provide unbiased and transparent education, information is based on a research review and obtained from trustworthy sources, such as peer-reviewed articles and government websites. All medical statements are linked to the original reference and all sources of information are disclosed within the article.
  2. Information about supplements is always based on ingredients. No specific products are mentioned or promoted within educational content.
  3. A strict policy against plagiarism is maintained; all our content is unique, curated by our team of writers and editors at Fullscript. Attribution to individual writers and editors is clearly stated in each article.
  4. Resources for patients are intended to be educational and do not replace the relationship between health practitioners and patients. In all content, we clearly recommend that readers refer back to their healthcare practitioners for all health-related questions.
  5. All content is updated on a regular basis to account for new research and industry trends, and the last update date is listed at the top of every article.
  6. Potential conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed.
Learn more

The healthiest cookies you’ll choose today

Our website uses cookies to collect useful information that lets us and our partners support basic functionality, analyze visitor traffic, deliver a better user experience, and provide ads tailored to your interests. Agreeing to the use of cookies is your choice. Learn more

Fullscript leaf icon
Platform
  • What’s new
  • Integrations
  • Testimonials
  • Catalog
Company
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Why Fullscript
  • Careers
  • Partnerships
  • Quality program
Help
  • Book a demo
  • Support Center
  • Provider FAQs
  • Patient FAQ
  • Contact us
  • Security
Developers
  • Engineering at Fullscript
  • API

© Fullscript 2025. All rights reserved.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Customer Support Policy
  • Acceptable Use Policy
  • Privacy Rights Notice
  • Auto Refill Terms and Conditions
  • Consumer Health Data Privacy Notice
American flag - toggles to show american specific contentUS
Canadian flag - toggles to show canada specific contentCanada