RACC: reference amounts customarily consumed.

What a reference amount is

Section 101.12 is titled "Reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion." Paragraph (a) explains how FDA arrived at them, and paragraph (b) holds the tables. Paragraph (g) states that the reference amounts "shall be used in determining whether a product meets the criteria for nutrient content claims, such as 'low calorie,' and for health claims." The eCFR text on this page is current through October 29, 2026. Other sections, including 101.60, 101.61 and 101.62 on this site, test claims "per reference amount customarily consumed."

How the amounts were set: paragraph (a)

• For persons 4 years of age or older, FDA calculated the amounts to reflect what is customarily consumed per eating occasion, based on national food consumption surveys (a)(1).
• For infants (up to 12 months) and children 1 through 3 years of age, separate amounts apply, but only when the food is specially formulated or processed for them (a)(2).
• FDA considered the mean, median and mode of the consumed amount per eating occasion (a)(4). Where survey data were insufficient, other sources such as dietary guidance serving sizes, comments, manufacturer and grocer serving sizes and other countries were considered (a)(5).
• The amounts and the serving size declared on the label are based only on the edible portion, not bone, seed, shell or other inedible components (a)(6). They are based on the major intended use of the food, for example milk as a beverage and not as an addition to cereal (a)(7).
• Foods consumed as an ingredient but also eaten as purchased, such as butter, are based on use in the form purchased (a)(8). FDA sought uniform amounts for foods with similar dietary usage, product characteristics and customarily consumed amounts (a)(9).

Selected Table 2 values

The tables in paragraph (b) have a product category column, a reference amount column and a label statement column. Table 1 covers foods for infants and young children, and Table 2 the general food supply. A few rows from Table 2 as printed:

The footnotes say the label statements are examples and the wording may change as appropriate, and that manufacturers must convert the reference amount to a label serving size in a household measure using the procedures in 101.9(b).

Prepared, substitute, aerated and combined foods: paragraphs (c) to (f)

• (c) If a product requires further preparation, and (b) gives an amount only for the prepared form, the unprepared RACC is the amount of unprepared product needed to make the prepared reference amount.
• (d) The reference amount for an imitation, substitute or altered food, such as a "low calorie" version, is the same as for the food it substitutes for.
• (e) If a food is aerated so that density is lowered by 25 percent or more by weight compared with an appropriate reference regular food, and the regular reference amount is in grams, the manufacturer may adjust the reference amount for density if it can show FDA detailed protocol and records; the result is rounded to the nearest 5 g and the product must bear a term such as "whipped" or "aerated." The adjustment may not be used for cakes except cheese cake.
• (f) For two or more foods packaged together for consumption together (for example peanut butter and jelly, pancakes and syrup), the reference amount is the amount for the main ingredient plus proportioned amounts of the minor ingredients; for equal volumes of peanut butter (main) and jelly the example gives 4 tbsp, 2 tbsp of each.

Claims when the serving differs: paragraph (g)

If the serving size declared on the label differs from the reference amount, and the product meets the claim criteria only on the basis of the reference amount, the claim "shall be followed by a statement that sets forth the basis on which the claim is made." The statement includes the reference amount as in paragraph (b), followed in parentheses by a household measure if needed. The section's example is "Very low sodium, 35 mg or less per 240 mL (8 fl oz)." Paragraph (h) lets FDA propose to establish or amend a reference amount, and describes the contents of a petition.

Worked example

Cookies have a RACC of 30 g. A "low fat" claim under 101.62(b)(2) then falls in the 30 g or less branch, so the cookie must have 3 g or less fat per 30 g and per 50 g. Yogurt, at 170 g, is over 30 g and so needs only the per RACC test. A beverage at 360 mL is measured per 360 mL; if the label serving is 240 mL but the product qualifies only per 360 mL, 101.12(g) calls for the basis statement. The lookup above shows the printed RACC and label pattern for 16 categories only.

Limits of this page

The full Table 2 has many more categories than shown here, and Table 1 has a separate set for infants and young children. This page shows the sampled rows as printed and does not decide which category a particular product falls into. Always read the full table and the footnotes, and use 101.9 to convert to the label serving size.

Sources

Sources opened and 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)