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Daily Value Calculator

Convert between nutrient amount and %DV. Instantly see which FDA nutrient content claims your product qualifies for.

Nutrient

Amount

% Daily Value

% DV

FDA Claims Qualified

Enter an amount to see qualifying claims.

21 CFR 101.9(c)(9) Reference Intakes

Nutrient	DV = 100%
Total Fat	78 g
Saturated Fat	20 g
Cholesterol	300 mg
Sodium	2300 mg
Total Carbohydrate	275 g
Dietary Fiber	28 g
Added Sugars	50 g
Protein	50 g
Vitamin D	20 mcg
Calcium	1300 mg
Iron	18 mg
Potassium	4700 mg
Vitamin A	900 mcg RAE
Vitamin C	90 mg
Vitamin E	15 mg alpha-tocopherol
Vitamin K	120 mcg
Thiamin	1.2 mg
Riboflavin	1.3 mg
Niacin	16 mg NE
Vitamin B6	1.7 mg
Folate	400 mcg DFE
Vitamin B12	2.4 mcg
Phosphorus	1250 mg
Magnesium	420 mg
Zinc	11 mg

How %Daily Value works

What the percentage means

%Daily Value expresses how much a nutrient in one serving contributes to a daily diet, using the reference values in 21 CFR § 101.9(c)(8)(iv) for vitamins and minerals and § 101.9(c)(9) for macronutrients. Those values are benchmarks for a 2,000-calorie diet - the panel says so in its footnote - not a personal recommendation.

The reference values were revised in the 2016 rules. Several changed materially, so a %DV computed against the older table is simply wrong now.

The 5/20 rule

The practical reading heuristic, and the one worth knowing: 5% DV or less is low in that nutrient, and 20% DV or more is high.

It works in both directions depending on what you are after - low is good for sodium and saturated fat, high is good for fibre, calcium and potassium.

There is more than one table

Adults and children aged four and over use the main reference values. Children aged one to three have their own set. Infants through twelve months have another. Pregnant and lactating women have their own, reflecting elevated iron, iodine, folate and choline needs.

Using the adult table on an infant or toddler product is a substantive error, not a rounding one - the percentages will be wrong across the whole panel.

Not every nutrient has one

Some nutrients have no established Daily Value. Where a nutrient is declared without one, no percentage is shown and a footnote records that a Daily Value is not established. This is common on supplement panels with botanicals and proprietary blends.

An absent percentage is correct in that situation, not an omission.

Other countries use different references

The EU uses Reference Intakes, Canada its own Daily Values, and other markets their own NRVs or RDAs. Same food, same nutrients, different percentages.

If you export, recalculate against the destination's reference values rather than converting the US figure.

To read the result quickly, use the 5/20 rule; see also why protein %DV is usually optional and the daily value for fiber. To compare a value with intakes by age and sex, use the Nutrient Target Checker.

Reference information, not legal advice. Requirements change and turn on facts specific to your product - confirm against the current regulation before relying on it.

Common questions

What is the % Daily Value on a nutrition label?

The percentage of a nutrient's Daily Value that one serving of the food provides, on a 2,000-calorie reference diet. The FDA sets the Daily Values in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8) and (c)(9); for example 78 g total fat, 20 g saturated fat, 2,300 mg sodium, 28 g dietary fiber, 50 g added sugars, 1,300 mg calcium and 18 mg iron. 5% DV or less is considered low and 20% DV or more is considered high.

How is % Daily Value calculated?

Divide the amount of the nutrient in one serving by its Daily Value and multiply by 100. The FDA allows the calculation from either the declared (rounded) amount or the actual amount before rounding, as long as one basis is used throughout the label. The result is rounded to the nearest whole percent for macronutrients and, for vitamins and minerals, to the nearest 2% up to 10%, the nearest 5% up to 50% and the nearest 10% above that.

Which nutrients have no Daily Value?

Trans fat, total sugars and protein (on most labels) carry no % Daily Value. Protein shows a %DV only when a protein claim is made or the food is for infants or children under four, and then it must be based on a protein-quality-corrected value. Total sugars has no DV because no reference intake has been set; added sugars has one (50 g).

What does "good source" or "excellent source" mean on a label?

They are FDA nutrient content claims defined in 21 CFR 101.54. "Good source of", "contains" or "provides" means the food supplies 10% to 19% of the Daily Value per reference amount; "excellent source of", "high in" or "rich in" means 20% or more. "More" or "added" claims require at least 10% DV more than the reference food. The claims apply to nutrients with a Daily Value, and a food that exceeds the disclosure level for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium set out in 101.13(h) must carry a disclosure statement alongside the claim.

Are Daily Values the same for children and infants?

No. The general Daily Values are for adults and children four years and older. 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) sets separate values for infants through 12 months, children one through three years, and pregnant and lactating women, and a label for one of those groups must use its own set and say so in the column heading.

Do other countries use the same Daily Values?

No. Canada has its own Table of Daily Values (for example 2,300 mg sodium but 75 g fat and 100 g sugars), the EU and UK use Reference Intakes (8,400 kJ / 2,000 kcal, 70 g fat, 20 g saturates, 260 g carbohydrate, 90 g sugars, 50 g protein, 6 g salt) and Nutrient Reference Values for vitamins and minerals, and China uses NRVs. The same product shows different percentages in each market.