The Daily Values used on United States food labels
The words below are the regulation's own. They are quoted exactly from the United States Code of Federal Regulations.
The definition
The following DRVs, nomenclature, and units of measure are established for the following food components:
Based on the reference caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children aged 4 years and older, and for pregnant women and lactating women
The following RDIs, nomenclature, and units of measure are established for the following vitamins and minerals which are essential in human nutrition:
Limits are personal and can change. Use the figures your own doctor or dietitian gave you.
Plain facts about this rule
This site does not print the Daily Value figures. They are not limits for you, and a figure shown here could be mistaken for one. The regulation linked above lists them all.
Daily Values are the reference figures that makers use to work out the % Daily Value printed on a pack. They are the same for every pack and every adult. The regulation lists other figures for infants, for children aged 1 to 3, and for pregnant and lactating women.
Source
- Text used:
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), Title 21, Part 101, as in force on 6 October 2026
- Checked on:
- 11 October 2026