"Good source of iron" is a defined claim. The food needs at least 10% of iron's Daily Value, 1.8 mg of 18 mg, in its reference amount, the serving size FDA sets for that kind of food, not the serving the maker picks. At 20%, 3.6 mg, the words "excellent source", "high in" or "rich in" are allowed. "Contains" and "provides" mean the same as good source. Like any nutrient claim, it brings a Nutrition Facts panel, even for a small business that would otherwise be exempt. In the example below, a Utah granola maker checks which of its products can say good source of iron.
The short version
- Good source, contains, provides: 10% or more of the Daily Value, at least 1.8 mg of iron.
- Excellent source, high in, rich in: 20% or more, at least 3.6 mg.
- Measure per reference amount: 60 g for a dense granola, 30 g for nuts and seeds.
- Get the iron from a lab or a nutrient database for the recipe as made.
- The claim brings a Nutrition Facts panel.
- Comparisons like "more iron" have their own rule.
- TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the pumpkin seeds in a batch are the recipe's. More below.
The tests
| Iron per reference amount | % Daily Value | Claim |
|---|---|---|
| 3.6 mg or more | 20% or more | Excellent source, high in, rich in |
| 1.8 to 3.5 mg | 10 to 19% | Good source, contains, provides |
| Under 1.8 mg | Under 10% | No iron claim |
How a Nutrition Facts panel is put together is in how to make a nutrition label, and which makers are exempt without claims in nutrition label small business exemption.
The rules
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| The levels | High, rich in, excellent source: 20% or more of the RDI per reference amount; good source, contains, provides: 10 to 19% (21 CFR 101.54(b), (c)) |
| Iron's Daily Value | 18 mg for adults and children 4 and older (21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv)) |
| The reference amount | 60 g for ready-to-eat cereals weighing 43 g or more a cup; 30 g for nuts and seeds (21 CFR 101.12(b)) |
| The exemption | A small business is exempt from nutrition labeling only if the food bears no nutrition claims (21 CFR 101.9(j)(1)) |
This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: four products checked
Cache Valley Granola Co., the made-up granola maker in Logan, Utah, I use in these examples, had its recipes analyzed after a co-op asked which ones could say good source of iron:
| Product | Reference amount | Iron | % Daily Value | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic granola | 60 g | 1.6 mg | 8.9% | None |
| Seed granola, pumpkin and sunflower | 60 g | 2.4 mg | 13.3% | Good source of iron |
| Chocolate granola | 60 g | 2.0 mg | 11.1% | Good source of iron |
| Toasted pumpkin seeds | 30 g | 2.6 mg | 14.4% | Good source of iron |
The classic granola falls a little short; adding pumpkin seeds is what lifted the seed granola, and cocoa the chocolate one. None reaches 3.6 mg, so none can say excellent source. All three claim products now carry Nutrition Facts panels, which the shop had skipped under the small business exemption. Whether a sugar or fat claim fits too is in low sugar claim and low fat claim.
Get the checker
Download the iron claim checker. One sheet: each product, its reference amount and its iron per reference amount; the % Daily Value and the claim it can carry 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 analysis is right for the recipe it tested. A batch heavy on oats and light on pumpkin seeds, or a new seed supplier, can drop the iron under 1.8 mg while the bag still says good source.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the pumpkin seeds in a batch is the recipe's pumpkin seeds.
Recipes by weight. Each granola is its own recipe, with its ingredients by weight.
Batches by lot. Each batch records which ingredient lots it used and how many bags it filled.
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 |
| Pumpkin seeds 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.