"Good source of calcium" is an FDA-defined claim: the food has 10 to 19% of the daily value for calcium per reference amount, FDA's standard serving for that kind of food. The daily value is 1,300 mg, so a good source has at least 130 mg a serving, and "excellent source", "high in" or "rich in" needs 20% or more, 260 mg. Two words people treat as harmless count as the same claim: "contains calcium" and "provides calcium" mean good source, and need the same 10%. For yogurt the reference amount is 170 grams, a 6-ounce cup. The health claim about calcium and osteoporosis sets a higher bar: the food has to be high in calcium, 20% or more, among its other conditions. And like any claim, it brings a Nutrition Facts panel, even for a business small enough to skip one otherwise. In the example below, a Virginia creamery learns why its plain yogurt is a good source and not an excellent one.
The short version
- Good source, contains or provides: 10 to 19% of the daily value per reference amount.
- Excellent source, high in or rich in: 20% or more.
- The daily value for calcium is 1,300 mg: 130 mg for good source, 260 mg for excellent.
- Yogurt's reference amount is 170 g, a 6-ounce cup.
- The calcium and osteoporosis health claim needs a food high in calcium.
- Any claim means a Nutrition Facts panel.
- TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the fruit in a cup is the recipe's fruit. More below.
The claims
| Claim | Percent of the daily value | Calcium per reference amount |
|---|---|---|
| Good source of, contains, provides | 10 to 19% | 130 mg up to 260 mg |
| Excellent source of, high in, rich in | 20% or more | 260 mg or more |
| Calcium and osteoporosis health claim | High: 20% or more, among other conditions | 260 mg or more |
Fiber and protein claims use the same percentages, in high fiber claim and high protein claim requirements.
The rules
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| Excellent source | High, rich in or excellent source: 20% or more of the daily value per reference amount (21 CFR 101.54(b)) |
| Good source | Good source, contains or provides: 10 to 19% (101.54(c)) |
| Daily value | Calcium, 1,300 mg (21 CFR 101.9(c)) |
| Reference amount | Yogurt, 170 g (21 CFR 101.12) |
| The health claim | Calcium and osteoporosis: the food meets the high level, with calcium the body can absorb (21 CFR 101.72(c)(2)(ii)) |
| The exemption | The small business exemption from nutrition labeling applies only without nutrition claims or other nutrition information (101.9(j)(1)) |
This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: four yogurts
Laurel Fork Creamery, the made-up yogurt maker in Floyd, Virginia, I use in these examples, wanted "excellent source of calcium" on its plain tub for a co-op's new dairy shelf. Its lab results, per 170 g serving:
| Yogurt | Calcium | Percent of 1,300 mg | Claim that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain, 32 oz tub | 205 mg | 15.8% | Good source |
| Vanilla, 6 oz cup | 185 mg | 14.2% | Good source |
| Greek, 16 oz tub | 170 mg | 13.1% | Good source |
| Blueberry, 6 oz cup | 150 mg | 11.5% | Good source |
The plain tub came up 55 mg short of excellent, so the label says "good source of calcium", and the osteoporosis health claim the co-op suggested is out, since it needs a high level. The blueberry cup has the smallest margin: its fruit layer takes the place of yogurt, and the fruit carries little calcium. Every tub and cup now carries a Nutrition Facts panel, which the creamery's size had let it skip. The yogurt's costs are in yogurt business plan, and the other health claims in health claims on food labels.
Get the checker
Download the calcium claim checker. One sheet: each product's reference amount and calcium per reference amount; the percent of the daily value, the claim that fits, the wording it can use and whether it's high enough for the health claim fill in. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
The claim is true for the recipe that was analyzed. A blueberry run with a heavier fruit layer leaves less yogurt in the cup, and at 150 mg there's little room before the claim fails, which only the batch record shows.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the fruit in a cup is the recipe's fruit.
Recipes by weight. Each yogurt is its own recipe, with its milk, culture and fruit by weight.
Batches by lot. Each batch records which milk and fruit lots it used and how many cups it made.
Recalls. If a batch was made from the wrong recipe, one report shows every customer who got it.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Which recipe a batch followed | Remembered | Each batch from its recipe |
| Fruit used in a batch | Not recorded | From the recipe and batch |
| Who got a wrong batch | Invoices | One recall report |
Recipes, batches and recalls are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.