As part of the restaurant menu labeling regulations the FDA requires restaurants to round calories on menus and menu boards and round the nutrients required in the written nutrition information. At On The Menu, we provide our clients with rounded data that is compliant with the FDA rounding rules. However, it may be helpful to understand the rounding rules.

When it comes to rounding rules, one of the most common questions we get is, “Why is the data inaccurate when I apply the common rule to calculate total calories?” As a refresher, the rule we’re referring to is “calories = (total fat grams * 9 calories) + (total carbohydrate grams * 4 calories) + (protein grams * 4 calories).”

Here’s an example where the first number is unrounded data and the second number is rounded data: Calories 51.64 /50, Fat 2.2g/2g, Carbohydrates 6.47g/6g, Protein 1.49g/1g. The catching point is when we apply our calculation to the rounded data, calories should be expressed as 45 but they show up as 50. Sometimes it doesn’t add up until you understand how rounding rules are applied. The below chart outlines the rounding rules for the calories and nutrients required by restaurant menu labeling.

Nutrient	Increment Rounding
Calories Calories from Fat	< 5 cal – express as 0 ≤ 50 cal – express to nearest 5 cal increment > 50 cal – express to nearest 10 cal increment
Total Fat Saturated Fat Trans Fat	< .5 grams (g) – express as 0 < 5 g – express to nearest .5 g increment ≥ 5 g – express to nearest 1 g increment
Cholesterol	< 2 milligrams (mg) – express as 0 2 – 5 mg – express as “less than 5 mg” > 5 mg – express to nearest 5 mg increment
Sodium	< 5 mg – express as 0 5 – 140 mg – express to nearest 5 mg increment > 140 mg – express to nearest 10 mg increment
Total Carbohydrate Dietary Fiber Sugars	< .5 g – express as 0 < 1 g – express as “Contains less than 1 g” or “less than 1 g” ≥1 g – express to nearest 1 g increment
Protein	< .5 g – express as 0 < 1 g – express as “Contains less than 1 g” or “less than 1 g” or to 1 g if .5 g to < 1 g ≥ 1 g – express to nearest 1 g increment

To express nutrient values to the nearest 1 g increment, for amounts falling exactly halfway between two whole numbers or higher (such as, 2.5 to 2.99 g), round up (such as, 3 g). For amounts less than halfway between two whole numbers (such as, 2.01 g to 2.49 g), round down (such as, 2 g).

For additional information please refer to A Labeling Guide for Restaurants.

• Calorie Rounding (page 22); Rounding rules in accordance with 21 CFR 101.11(b)(2)(i)(A)(2).
• Additional Nutrient Rounding (page 33); Rounding rules in accordance with 21 CFR 101.11(b)(2)(ii)
• Rounding Rules for Restaurant-Type Foods (Appendix A, page 58)