What should every product label include?
Start with the elements nearly every retail product carries, whatever it is. These answer the three questions a shopper and a regulator both ask: what is it, how much is there, and who stands behind it.
- Brand name or logo, so the product is recognized.
- Product name that says plainly what it is, such as strawberry jam or unscented hand cream.
- Net quantity of contents by weight, volume or count.
- Name and place of business of the maker, packer or distributor.
- Directions or care notes if the product needs them to be used safely.
- Warnings if the product category requires them.
- A barcode if you sell through retailers that scan.
- A batch, lot or date code if you need to trace or recall a run.
For food and cosmetics, federal rules turn them into specific requirements about wording and placement, covered below.
Which panel does each item go on?
FDA rules for food and cosmetics use two terms that shape your layout. The principal display panel is the part of the package most likely to be seen at the point of sale, usually the front. The information panel is the area immediately to the right of it as the shopper faces the front, used for details such as ingredients and the business address.
On a jar with a single wraparound label, both panels share one piece of paper. Plan the label as panels from the start, because moving required text later often means changing the label size.
What does the FDA require on a packaged food label?
The FDA Food Labeling Guide sets out the core elements for packaged food sold in the United States.
- Statement of identity: the common name of the food on the principal display panel.
- Net quantity of contents: on the principal display panel, in the bottom 30 percent of that panel, in both metric and US customary units.
- Ingredient list: every ingredient in descending order of predominance by weight.
- Major food allergens: declared in the ingredient list or in a Contains statement placed right after or next to the ingredients.
- Name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
- Nutrition Facts panel, unless the product qualifies for an exemption.
The FDA recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame was added by the FASTER Act and has been covered since January 1, 2023.
Here is a worked example for a small jam producer. The front panel reads Strawberry Jam, with Net Wt 12 oz (340 g) along the bottom. The side panel lists ingredients (strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, pectin) and the business name with city, state and ZIP code. If the jam contained almonds, a line reading Contains: Tree Nuts (Almonds) would sit directly after the ingredients.
Do small food businesses need a Nutrition Facts panel?
Not always. The FDA small business nutrition labeling exemption covers a product when the business has fewer than an average of 100 full time equivalent employees and sells fewer than 100,000 units of that product in the United States in 12 months, but the business must file a notice with the FDA every year. A business that is not an importer, has fewer than 10 full time equivalent employees and sells fewer than 10,000 units of a product a year does not need to file.
The exemption is lost as soon as the label, labeling or advertising makes a nutrient content claim or health claim, such as sugar free or low fat. Cottage food laws, farmers market rules and retail exemptions also vary by state, so confirm your situation with your state agriculture or health department before you print.
What goes on a cosmetic label?
The FDA summary of cosmetics labeling requirements lists these elements for cosmetics sold at retail.
- On the principal display panel: the product name, what the product is or does, and the net quantity, placed in the bottom area of the panel.
- On an information panel: the ingredient declaration in descending order of predominance. Color additives and ingredients at 1 percent or less may be listed in any order after the others.
- The name and place of business of the firm marketing the product, using phrases such as Manufactured for or Distributed by when the firm is not the maker.
- Any required warnings and directions for safe use, stated prominently.
- Minimum type height: ingredient letters at least 1/16 inch, or 1/32 inch if the package has less than 12 square inches of label space.
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, known as MoCRA, added new duties for cosmetics companies, including adverse event reporting, and directs the FDA to set further rules such as fragrance allergen labeling. Check the FDA MoCRA page for what currently applies to your product's label. Products that make drug claims, such as sunscreen or acne treatment, follow drug labeling rules instead.
What goes on the label by product type?
Use this table as a checklist for common small business categories. Rules outside food and cosmetics depend on the product, so treat the last column as a starting point to confirm with the agency that regulates your category.
| Element | Packaged food | Cosmetics | Candles, soap, home goods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product name | Required, front panel | Required, front panel | Recommended |
| Net quantity | Required, bottom 30 percent of front, metric and US units | Required, bottom area of front | Confirm with your state |
| Ingredients | Required, descending by weight | Required, descending by predominance | Recommended for trust |
| Allergens | Required for the nine major allergens | Not the food rule; follow cosmetic rules | Not applicable |
| Business name and address | Required | Required | Recommended |
| Nutrition Facts | Required unless exempt | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Warnings | When required | When required | Fire safety notes recommended for candles |
| Barcode | Needed by most retailers | Needed by most retailers | Needed by most retailers |
A bar of soap is a useful edge case. Under FDA rules, a true soap is made mainly of alkali salts of fatty acids, cleans only through those salts, and is marketed only as soap; it is regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, not the FDA. A bar marketed as moisturizing or deodorizing is a cosmetic, and one that claims to kill germs is a drug. The claims on your label decide which rules apply.
Do you need a barcode on your label?
For most products a barcode is a retailer expectation rather than a labeling law: stores that scan at checkout will ask for one. In the United States, UPC barcodes are licensed through GS1 US, either one number at a time or as a company prefix that covers a block of products, so check its current pricing before you design. Leave clear space around the barcode and print it in dark ink on a light background so it scans.
How do you fit all of this on a small label?
Required text needs room. Count your words before you choose a label size, and remember the minimum type heights. A two label layout is common: a front label for brand, product name and net quantity, and a back label for ingredients, allergens, address and barcode.
- Write every required line first, then design around it.
- Put the net quantity where the rules place it before adding artwork.
- Keep required text off seams, folds and the curve of the container.
- Print a test and read it at arm's length.
- Check the wrap length with the label wrap calculator for round containers.
The guide to custom sticker sizes covers measuring the flat area of jars and bottles, and the stickers vs labels guide explains when a piece of packaging should be specified as a label. When your copy is final, explore product label sheets for a run you can apply by hand. Voqado sends a proof to review before production, and if a print arrives damaged, misprinted or different from the proof you approved, we reprint or refund it within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
What is legally required on a product label?
It depends on the product. Packaged food needs a statement of identity, net quantity, ingredients, major allergens, the business name and address, and usually Nutrition Facts. Cosmetics need identity, net quantity, ingredients, the business name and address, and any required warnings. Other goods have different rules, so check with the agency that regulates your category and your state before printing.
Do I need to put my address on a product label?
For packaged food and cosmetics, yes. FDA rules require the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor. The FDA summary for cosmetics lists street address, city, state and ZIP code. If you use a co packer, you can list your own business with a phrase such as Distributed by or Manufactured for, depending on the category rules.
Where does the net weight go on a label?
On packaged food, the net quantity goes on the principal display panel, the front of the package, within the bottom 30 percent of that panel, and it must show both metric and US customary units, such as Net Wt 12 oz (340 g). Cosmetics also place net contents in the bottom area of the front panel.
Do homemade food products need a nutrition label?
Not always. The FDA small business exemption covers products from businesses with fewer than 100 full time equivalent employees selling fewer than 100,000 units a year, usually with an annual notice. State cottage food laws add their own labeling rules for home kitchens. Any nutrition or health claim removes the exemption, so confirm with your state before printing.
Sources & specification notes
The references below support the relevant technical or product details in this guide. Examples and checklists are not claims of practical testing or universal supplier requirements. Confirm the current specifications for your chosen product before production.
- FDA: Guidance for Industry, Food Labeling Guide ↗
Supports the principal display and information panels, net quantity in the bottom 30 percent in metric and US units, ingredient order and business name requirements.
- FDA: The FASTER Act, sesame is the ninth major food allergen ↗
Supports the list of nine major allergens, the January 1, 2023 date and the ways allergens can be declared.
- FDA: Small business nutrition labeling exemption ↗
Supports the employee and unit thresholds, the annual notice and the loss of the exemption with nutrition claims.
- FDA: Summary of cosmetics labeling requirements ↗
Supports cosmetic panel contents, ingredient order and the 1/16 and 1/32 inch minimum type heights.
- FDA: Frequently asked questions on soap ↗
Supports the definition of true soap, its regulation by the CPSC, and when a soap becomes a cosmetic or drug.
