Low calorie claim rules.

What 101.60 covers

Section 101.60 governs claims about the calorie or sugar content of a food. Paragraph (a) says such a claim may be made only if the claim uses a defined term in accordance with its definition, follows the general nutrient content claim requirements in 101.13, and the food is labeled under 101.9, 101.10 or 101.36 as applicable. For dietary supplements, (a)(4) adds that calorie claims may not be made on products meeting the "calorie free" or "low calorie" criteria except when an equivalent amount of a similar dietary supplement normally exceeds the "low calorie" definition. The text is the eCFR version current through October 29, 2026.

Calorie content claims: paragraph (b)

A reduced calorie claim must name the reference food and the percent difference in immediate proximity to the most prominent claim (for example, "33 1/3 percent fewer calories than regular cupcakes") and give quantitative comparison information such as "Calorie content has been reduced from 150 to 100 calories per serving." It may not be made if the reference food already meets the "low calorie" definition (b)(4)(iii).

Naturally low foods

If a food meets the calorie-free condition "without the benefit of special processing, alteration, formulation, or reformulation," it must be labeled to disclose that calories are not usually present, for example "cider vinegar, a calorie free food" (b)(1)(ii). For low calorie, such a food must refer to all foods of its type and not merely the brand, for example "celery, a low calorie food" (b)(2)(ii).

Sugar content claims: paragraph (c)

The section treats sugar claims as calorie-related because consumers may expect a no-sugar food to be low or reduced in calories. The text says terms such as "sugar free," "no sugar," "zero sugar" and "sugarless" may be used only if the food has less than 0.5 g of sugars per RACC and per labeled serving and contains no ingredient that is a sugar or generally understood to contain sugars (unless asterisked with "adds a trivial amount of sugar" wording), and either is labeled low or reduced calorie or carries "not a reduced calorie food," "not a low calorie food" or "not for weight control" each time the term is used (c)(1).

• No added sugar, without added sugar, no sugar added (c)(2): no sugars or sugar-containing ingredient added during processing or packaging, no added-sugar ingredients such as jam, jelly or concentrated fruit juice, no enzyme increase in sugars content, the food it resembles normally contains added sugars, and a statement that the food is not "low calorie" or "calorie reduced" (unless it meets those definitions) directing attention to the nutrition panel.
• Reduced sugar, less sugar, lower sugar (c)(5): at least 25 percent less sugar per RACC than an appropriate reference food, with the reference food and percent difference declared next to the claim.
• Juices (c)(3): the (c)(1) rule does not apply to a factual statement that a food with apparent substantial inherent sugar content, such as a juice, is unsweetened or contains no added sweeteners.

Worked example

A beverage-mix powder with a RACC of 15 g shows 35 calories per RACC and 35 calories per 50 g. Because the RACC is 30 g or less, the low calorie test needs both: 35 is not more than 40 per RACC and 35 is not more than 40 per 50 g, so (b)(2)(i)(B) is met, and the food is not under 5 calories so it does not fit "calorie free." If the per 50 g figure were 60 the food would fail the second part. The checker above runs those comparisons, and for sugar substitutes the section drops the per 50 g condition, a case you must apply yourself.

What the numbers do not decide

The thresholds are one part of the rule. The reference amounts come from 101.12, the claim must satisfy 101.13, and for reduced claims the choice of an "appropriate reference food" is set in 101.13(j)(1), which this page does not read in full. The page gives no advice on weight management.

Sources

Sources opened and read November 2, 2026.

• eCFR: 21 CFR 101.60, Nutrient content claims for the calorie content of foods (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 21 CFR 101.12, Reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 21 CFR part 101, Food Labeling (read November 2, 2026)