How to round nutrition values (EU 2012 guidance, UK FSA, FDA)
Short answer: In the EU and UK, round energy to the nearest whole kJ and kcal. Fat, carbohydrate, sugars and protein are rounded to 1 g from 10 g upwards and to 0.1 g below that. Salt is rounded to 0.1 g from 1 g and to 0.01 g below. Trace amounts may be shown as '0 g'.
By the Free Nutrition Label team · Last reviewed: · Not legal advice.
The European Commission's December 2012 "Guidance document for competent authorities for the control of compliance with EU legislation… with regard to the setting of tolerances for nutrient values declared on a label" contains the rounding table used across the EU. The UK Food Standards Agency's technical guidance on nutrition labelling repeats the same rules.
EU / UK rounding table
| Nutrient | Amount | Round to |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | any | nearest 1 kJ / 1 kcal |
| Fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, fibre, polyols, starch | ≥ 10 g | 1 g |
| < 10 g and > 0.5 g | 0.1 g | |
| ≤ 0.5 g (not detectable) | "0 g" or "<0.5 g" | |
| Saturates, mono- and polyunsaturates | ≥ 10 g | 1 g |
| < 10 g and > 0.1 g | 0.1 g | |
| ≤ 0.1 g | "0 g" or "<0.1 g" | |
| Salt | ≥ 1 g | 0.1 g |
| < 1 g and > 0.0125 g | 0.01 g | |
| ≤ 0.0125 g | "0 g" or "<0.01 g" | |
| Vitamins and minerals | — | 3 significant figures (2 for some) |
Our generator applies this table and shows "<0.5 g", "<0.1 g" or "<0.01 g" for the lowest band.
Why rounding matters for tolerances
Authorities compare your declared (rounded) value with analysis results using tolerances, e.g. ±20 % for fat between 10 and 40 g/100 g, ±8 g above 40 g. Rounding too aggressively near a band edge can push you outside the tolerance.
FDA rounding (21 CFR 101.9(c))
| Nutrient | Rule |
|---|---|
| Calories | <5 → 0; ≤50 → nearest 5; >50 → nearest 10 |
| Total fat, saturated, trans | <0.5 g → 0; <5 g → nearest 0.5 g; ≥5 g → nearest 1 g |
| Cholesterol | <2 mg → 0; 2–5 mg → "less than 5 mg"; >5 mg → nearest 5 mg |
| Sodium | <5 mg → 0; 5–140 mg → nearest 5 mg; >140 mg → nearest 10 mg |
| Carbohydrate, fiber, sugars, protein | <0.5 g → 0; <1 g → "less than 1 g"; ≥1 g → nearest 1 g |
Sources
- European Commission – Guidance on tolerances for nutrient values (2012, PDF)
- FSA – Nutrition labelling technical guidance (PDF)
- 21 CFR 101.9 Nutrition labeling of food (eCFR)
FAQ
How do you round salt on an EU label?
Salt ≥ 1 g: nearest 0.1 g. Salt < 1 g and > 0.0125 g: nearest 0.01 g. At or below 0.0125 g: declare '0 g' or '<0.01 g'.
How do you round fat on an EU label?
≥ 10 g: nearest 1 g; < 10 g and > 0.5 g: nearest 0.1 g; ≤ 0.5 g (not detectable): '0 g' or '<0.5 g'. The same applies to carbohydrate, sugars, protein and fibre.
How does FDA round calories?
Below 5 kcal declare 0; up to 50 kcal round to the nearest 5; above 50 kcal round to the nearest 10 (21 CFR 101.9(c)(1)).