Updated 2026-09-29. This page is not legal advice.
The percent daily value shows how much of one day’s amount of a nutrient is in one serving. It appears in the right-hand column of the Nutrition Facts label. The Food and Drug Administration sets these Daily Values in 21 CFR 101.9. These values help you track key nutrients in packaged foods. You can compute these figures manually or use a digital nutrition label maker.
What does percent daily value mean?
A Daily Value is the recommended daily intake of a nutrient set by federal regulators. The percentage compares one serving of food to the Daily Value for each listed nutrient. It tells you whether a food contributes a little or a lot toward your daily target.
Federal law requires this exact label footnote on standard packages:
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. FDA uses 2,000 calories a day for general nutrition advice.
The federal government bases general adult values on a standard intake of 2,000 calories each day. Your personal daily calorie needs may be higher or lower depending on your physical activity and age. Foods made specifically for children 1 through 3 years of age use a 1,000-calorie daily baseline. The footnote text for young children changes to reflect that 1,000-calorie baseline.
Where does percent daily value come from?
FDA creates these values to help people maintain healthy dietary practices. The agency establishes two separate types of reference values within 21 CFR 101.9.
The first type consists of Daily Reference Values, known as DRVs. DRVs apply to macronutrients and electrolytes under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9). A macronutrient is a primary dietary nutrient that your body needs in large quantities. DRVs cover total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, added sugars, and protein.
The second type consists of Reference Daily Intakes, known as RDIs. RDIs apply to essential vitamins and minerals under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv). A micronutrient is a vitamin or mineral that your body needs in small amounts. RDIs cover nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
The Nutrition Facts panel does not separate these two technical legal categories. Food packages label both DRVs and RDIs under the unified heading of Daily Value.
FDA Daily Values table
You can look up the numbers in this official daily value chart from federal regulations. The values differ between adults and young children because their dietary needs differ.
| Nutrient | Daily Value (adults and children 4+) | Daily Value (children 1 to 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Total fat | 78 g | 39 g |
| Saturated fat | 20 g | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 300 mg | 300 mg |
| Sodium | 2,300 mg | 1,500 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 275 g | 150 g |
| Dietary fiber | 28 g | 14 g |
| Added sugars | 50 g | 25 g |
| Protein | 50 g | 13 g |
| Vitamin D | 20 mcg | 15 mcg |
| Calcium | 1,300 mg | 700 mg |
| Iron | 18 mg | 7 mg |
| Potassium | 4,700 mg | 3,000 mg |
Trans fat and total sugars have no Daily Value, so the label shows no %DV for them. Public health agencies have not established recommended daily limits for those two nutrients. Manufacturers must print the gram amounts for sugars and trans fat without a percentage.
How to calculate percent daily value
Food manufacturers must determine these percentages accurately during package development. The calculation requires only basic division and multiplication.
%DV = amount per serving ÷ Daily Value × 100
You can complete the calculation by following these three steps:
- Find the amount of the nutrient present in one serving.
- Divide that amount by the official Daily Value for that nutrient.
- Multiply the result by 100 and round according to federal rules.
Here is a quick demonstration using dietary fat for an adult food product. A single serving of a snack contains 7 grams of total fat. The Daily Value for total fat in adults is 78 grams. Divide 7 grams by 78 grams to get 0.0897. Multiply 0.0897 by 100 to get 8.97 percent. Round 8.97 percent to the nearest whole number, which gives you 9%. You write 9% in the right column of the Nutrition Facts panel.
Worked example: one cookie
Here is a complete worked example for a single chocolate chip cookie. The serving size is one cookie. The calculations compare the recipe amounts against the adult Daily Values.
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | Math | %DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total fat | 7 g | 7 ÷ 78 = 0.0897 | 9% |
| Saturated fat | 3 g | 3 ÷ 20 = 0.15 | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 20 mg | 20 ÷ 300 = 0.0667 | 7% |
| Sodium | 115 mg | 115 ÷ 2,300 = 0.05 | 5% |
| Total carbohydrate | 22 g | 22 ÷ 275 = 0.08 | 8% |
| Dietary fiber | 1 g | 1 ÷ 28 = 0.0357 | 4% |
| Added sugars | 12 g | 12 ÷ 50 = 0.24 | 24% |
| Iron | 1 mg | 1 ÷ 18 = 0.0556, nearest 2% | 6% |
| Calcium | 20 mg | 20 ÷ 1,300 = 0.0154 | under 2%: 0% or “Not a significant source of calcium” |
| Protein | 2 g | no %DV needed | blank |
Calcium falls below 2% of the Daily Value. The label may show 0% or state “Not a significant source of calcium”. Notice how each nutrient uses its own specific rounding standard on the final label.
How do you round %DV on a label?
FDA sets strict rounding rules in 21 CFR 101.9(d)(7)(ii) and 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iii). You cannot simply round every percentage to the nearest single decimal place. You may calculate percentages using either the rounded label amount or the unrounded analytical amount.
Follow these two specific rounding rules:
- For fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, added sugars, and protein: round to the nearest whole percent.
- For vitamins and minerals: round to the nearest 2% up to 10%. Round to the nearest 5% from above 10% to 50%. Round to the nearest 10% above 50%.
Special rules apply when a food contains very low amounts of vitamins or minerals. FDA considers a nutrient under 2% of its Daily Value insignificant. A manufacturer has three legal choices for nutrients below 2%:
- Declare the percentage as zero on the label line.
- Place an asterisk next to the nutrient pointing to a standard statement. The statement must read “Contains less than 2 percent of the Daily Value of this nutrient”.
- For mandatory nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, iron, or potassium, omit the nutrient line completely. Then print “Not a significant source of” followed by the nutrient name at the panel base.
What is the 5/20 rule?
FDA created the 5/20 rule as a practical guide for shoppers. Under this guideline, FDA considers 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving low. FDA calls 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving high.
However, formal nutrient content claims on packages follow stricter statutory rules under 21 CFR 101.54. Manufacturers cannot base package claims like “high fiber” on their custom serving size alone. Federal law judges all marketing claims against the official reference amount customarily consumed (RACC). A RACC is the regulated baseline portion size that FDA determines for each food category.
A claim of “good source”, “contains”, or “provides” requires 10% to 19% of the Daily Value per RACC. A claim of “high” or “rich in” requires 20% or more of the Daily Value per RACC. A claim of “excellent source of” also requires 20% or more of the Daily Value per RACC.
Do you have to show %DV for protein?
Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(i), declaring the percent daily value for protein is generally optional. Most food packages list protein amounts only in whole grams.
However, you must declare the percentage for protein under two specific legal conditions. First, you must list it if you make any protein marketing claim on the package. Second, you must list it if you manufacture food intended for infants or children under four years old.
A nutrient percentage can also rise above 100% on a compliant label. A value over 100% means that a single serving has more than the Daily Value for that nutrient. Read our guide on how to get a nutrition label for your product. It shows how to get the nutrient values. You can also review a blank Nutrition Facts template to see standard spacing and borders.