Determining the RACC for a Nutrition Facts Label

The FDA established Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACC) to determine serving sizes for nutrition reporting. A food’s reference amount or RACC can be found in Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed: List of Products for Each Product Category: Guidance for Industry or in the 21 CFR Part 101.12(b). Go to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 search “101.12” and go to section (b) to find the RACCs. Under section (b) are two tables; Table 1 is for infant and toddler foods and Table 2 is for the general population. The tables have three columns, each of which is explained below.

Product Category

In the first column in the 21 CFR Part 101.12(b) tables are product categories, of which there are 150 categories. Most of the food categories are for foods in their ready-to-eat form. If a product in the form in which it is sold, is not among the food categories, then an appropriate RACC can be generated using guidelines in 21 CFR Part 101.12(c-f). Go to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 search “101.12” and find the guidelines in sections (c) through (f).

Reference Amount

The second column in the tables is the reference amount, which represents the amount of food customarily consumed in one sitting. The reference amount is the basis for a serving size. In most product categories, the reference amount is a specified gram weight, however, they are also defined in milliliters, cups, and other household measurements. It’s best to follow RACCs as closely as possible, but it’s not necessary to manufacture a product to match the reference weight. It’s recommended to report the nutrient info based on the serving size closest to the reference weight.

Label Statement

The final column is a label statement, which suggests how to “phrase” the serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel. The label statement typically includes a household measurement followed by the gram weight in parenthesis. For example, “1 cookie (28g).” Again, the label statements in the RACC tables are suggestions and can be adapted to better fit a product. The label statement for bread is “_ piece(s) (_g)”; where it might be preferable to state “2 slices (50g)”. Refer to 21 CFR Part 101.9(b) for procedures on determining appropriate household measures

Industry Guidance

For more information, refer to Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed: List of Products for Each Product Category: Guidance for Industry. At On The Menu, we can help you determine an appropriate serving size for your food product and show you how to list it on a Nutrition Facts panel.