FDA Serving Size Rules & RACC Values: How to Determine Correct Serving Sizes for Food Labels

Introduction: Why Serving Sizes Matter

The serving size on a food label is not a recommendation for how much to eat. It is a standardized quantity, defined by the FDA, that reflects the amount of food people customarily consume in a single eating occasion. Every nutrient value on the Nutrition Facts panel — calories, fat, sodium, sugars, vitamins, minerals — is calculated based on this serving size. An incorrect serving size cascades into incorrect values for every nutrient on the label.

Serving sizes are governed by FDA regulations at 21 CFR 101.9 and 21 CFR 101.12, which establish Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACCs) for over 150 food product categories. The FDA updated many RACC values in its 2016 final rule (compliance dates: January 2020 for large manufacturers, January 2021 for smaller manufacturers), reflecting changes in actual eating habits since the original RACCs were established in the 1990s.

This guide explains how to determine the correct serving size for your food product, including how to use RACC tables, when single-serving and dual-column rules apply, and how to express serving sizes in household measures.

What Are Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACCs)?

RACCs are standardized reference amounts, expressed in grams or milliliters, that represent the amount of a specific food category that a person typically eats or drinks in one sitting. They are not serving size recommendations — they are reference points used to calculate the serving size that appears on the label.

RACCs are defined in 21 CFR 101.12(b) and are organized by food product category. Each category has a specific RACC value. When a manufacturer determines the serving size for their product, they start with the RACC for the product's category and then express it as the nearest household measure (cups, tablespoons, pieces, etc.) that most closely approximates the RACC.

Key RACC Values (Updated 2020)

Below are RACCs for commonly manufactured food categories. Note that several categories changed significantly in the 2020 update:

Food Category	Previous RACC	Updated RACC
Ice cream	1/2 cup (66 g)	2/3 cup (88 g)
Soda / carbonated beverages	8 fl oz (240 mL)	12 fl oz (360 mL)
Yogurt	8 oz (225 g)	6 oz (170 g)
Bread	50 g (unchanged)
Cookies	30 g (unchanged)
Cereal (cold, ready-to-eat, weighing less than 43 g per cup)	30 g (unchanged)
Cheese (hard, e.g., cheddar)	30 g (unchanged)
Cooking oil	1 tbsp / 13 g (unchanged)
Crackers	30 g (unchanged)
Pasta/noodles (dry)	56 g (unchanged)
Candy (hard)	15 g (unchanged)
Chips / snacks	28 g (unchanged)
Juice	8 fl oz / 240 mL (unchanged)

A complete table of all RACC values is available in 21 CFR 101.12(b). Manufacturers must use the RACC for the category that best describes their product.

How to Convert RACCs into Label Serving Sizes

The RACC is stated in metric units (grams or milliliters), but the serving size on the label must be expressed in a common household measure (e.g., 1 cup, 2 tablespoons, 3 cookies, 1 slice) followed by the metric equivalent in parentheses. The process for determining the label serving size is:

1. Identify the correct RACC category for your product from 21 CFR 101.12(b).
2. Determine the household measure that most closely approximates the RACC for your product. For products sold in discrete units (cookies, crackers, rolls), the serving size is the number of whole units closest to the RACC.
3. Calculate the metric equivalent of the household measure for your specific product. For example, if the RACC for crackers is 30 g and your crackers weigh 7 g each, the serving size would be "4 crackers (28 g)" — the number of whole crackers closest to 30 g.
4. Declare both the household measure and metric equivalent on the label. Example: "Serving size: 2/3 cup (88 g)" or "Serving size: 12 crackers (31 g)."

Single-Serving Containers

The 2020 update introduced an important change for products packaged in containers that could reasonably be consumed in a single eating occasion. The rules are as follows:

• Products between 100% and 200% of the RACC: If the entire package contains between one and two RACC amounts, the entire package must be labeled as a single serving. For example, if the RACC for soda is 12 fl oz (360 mL) and the bottle contains 20 fl oz (591 mL), the entire 20 fl oz bottle is considered a single serving because 591 mL is between 100% (360 mL) and 200% (720 mL) of the RACC.
• Products between 200% and 300% of the RACC: Manufacturers must provide a dual-column label (see next section). However, if the product can reasonably be consumed in a single or multiple sittings, the manufacturer may choose to label it as either two servings or as a single serving, but a dual-column format is required.
• Products greater than 300% of the RACC: Must be labeled with more than one serving.

This rule is particularly important for beverages. A 20 oz soda (591 mL), which previously was labeled as 2.5 servings, must now be labeled as 1 serving. This means the calorie count on the label reflects the entire bottle — a change that significantly increased the declared calorie count for many beverage products.

Dual-Column Labeling

Dual-column labeling is required for products that are between 200% and 300% of the RACC and could reasonably be consumed in either one or two sittings. The dual-column format shows nutrition information in two columns:

• Column 1: "Per serving" — based on the declared serving size.
• Column 2: "Per container" or "Per package" — showing the total nutrition content if the entire package is consumed.

This format helps consumers understand both the per-serving nutrition (for partial consumption) and the total nutrition (if they eat or drink the whole container). Products where dual-column labeling is commonly required include 24 oz beverages, pint-sized ice cream containers, and family-size snack bags with 2–3 servings.

Household Measures: Rules and Examples

The FDA requires serving sizes to be declared in household measures that are familiar to consumers. Acceptable household measures include:

• Volume measures: cup, tablespoon (tbsp), teaspoon (tsp), fluid ounce (fl oz)
• Discrete units: piece, slice, bar, cookie, cracker, can, bottle, pouch
• Weight-based measures: ounce (oz) — used primarily for products like meat, cheese, and deli items

Fractional cup measures should use common fractions: 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup, 3/4 cup, 1 cup. Decimal fractions (0.5 cup, 0.75 cup) are not permitted on the label.

For products sold as discrete units (e.g., muffins, energy bars, individually wrapped candies), the serving size is expressed as the number of units closest to the RACC, along with the metric weight. For example: "Serving size: 1 bar (40 g)."

Multi-Serving Containers: Servings Per Container

"Servings per container" must be declared directly below "Serving size" at the top of the Nutrition Facts panel. The rules for determining servings per container are:

• If the number of servings is between 2 and 5, it must be rounded to the nearest 0.5 (e.g., 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5).
• If the number of servings is above 5, it must be rounded to the nearest whole number.
• Manufacturers may use "about" before the number of servings (e.g., "About 8 servings per container") to account for normal manufacturing variation.

Special Cases

Variety Packs and Assortments

When a package contains multiple varieties of a food (e.g., an assortment of cookies or a variety pack of chips), each variety may need its own Nutrition Facts panel if the nutritional profiles differ significantly. Alternatively, the manufacturer may use an aggregate nutrition label with a footnote indicating that values are averages across all varieties.

Combination Products (e.g., Cereal + Milk)

Some products are commonly consumed with additional components — cereal with milk, or cake mix with eggs and oil. Manufacturers may voluntarily include a second column showing "with [added component]" nutrition values, but this is not required. If included, the "as packaged" values must still appear as the primary column.

Products Requiring Preparation

For products that require preparation before eating (e.g., dry pasta, soup mix, cake mix), the serving size may be declared either in terms of the dry/unprepared product or the prepared product, or both. The RACC is based on the form in which the product is customarily consumed.

How RecipeBuilder Handles Serving Sizes

RecipeBuilder streamlines serving size determination by integrating RACC tables directly into the label generation workflow:

• RACC category selection: Select your product category and RecipeBuilder provides the correct current RACC value.
• Automatic household measure calculation: Based on your recipe's yield and the RACC, RecipeBuilder calculates the appropriate household measure and metric equivalent.
• Servings per container: Automatically calculated and rounded according to FDA rules.
• Single-serving and dual-column detection: RecipeBuilder alerts you when your package size triggers single-serving rules or dual-column labeling requirements.
• All nutrients recalculated per serving: When you adjust the serving size, all 15+ mandatory nutrient values are recalculated instantly.

To see how RecipeBuilder handles serving size calculations for your products, book a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a RACC value and how does it determine serving size?

A Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) is a standardized quantity, expressed in grams or milliliters, that represents how much of a specific food category a person typically eats in one sitting. Manufacturers use the RACC for their product category as the starting point, then express the serving size as the nearest household measure (cups, pieces, tablespoons) that approximates the RACC.

Which serving sizes changed in the 2020 FDA update?

The most notable changes were ice cream (from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup), soda and carbonated beverages (from 8 fl oz to 12 fl oz), and yogurt (from 8 oz to 6 oz). Many other categories remained unchanged. Products using pre-2020 RACC values have incorrect serving sizes and therefore incorrect nutrient declarations across the entire label.

When is dual-column labeling required on a food label?

Dual-column labeling is required when a product package contains between 200% and 300% of the RACC and could reasonably be consumed in one or two sittings. The label must show nutrition information in two columns: "per serving" and "per package." Common examples include 24 oz beverages, pint-sized ice cream, and family-size snack bags with 2-3 servings.

How does RecipeBuilder calculate correct serving sizes for food labels?

RecipeBuilder integrates current RACC tables directly into the label generation workflow. You select your product category and RecipeBuilder provides the correct RACC value, calculates the appropriate household measure and metric equivalent based on your recipe yield, automatically determines servings per container, and alerts you when single-serving or dual-column rules apply.

Related Resources

• FDA Nutrition Facts Label Requirements: Complete Compliance Guide
• FDA Allergen Labeling: FALCPA and FASTER Act Requirements
• FDA Nutrition Claims: Legal Requirements for Food Labels