"High fiber" means a food has at least 20% of the daily value for dietary fiber per reference amount, FDA's standard serving for that kind of food. The daily value is 28 grams, so high fiber takes 5.6 grams or more. "Good source of fiber" means 10 to 19%, 2.8 to 5.5 grams. "Excellent source" and "rich in" mean the same as high; "contains" and "provides" mean the same as good source. There's one more line many fiber labels need: if the food isn't low fat, 3 grams of fat or less per reference amount, the label has to say how much total fat is in a serving, right next to the fiber claim and at least half its type size, such as "contains 7 g of total fat per serving; see nutrition information for fat content". Bars with nuts and seeds often aren't low fat, so it catches many of them. And any claim brings a Nutrition Facts panel, even for a business small enough to skip one otherwise. In the example below, a Colorado bar maker works out which of its bars can claim fiber.
The short version
- High fiber, excellent source, rich in: 20% or more of the daily value, 5.6 g or more.
- Good source, contains, provides: 10 to 19%, 2.8 to 5.5 g.
- Measured per reference amount: a granola bar's is 40 g.
- Not low fat? Disclose the total fat per serving next to the claim.
- The disclosure is at least half the claim's type size.
- Any claim means a Nutrition Facts panel.
- TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the flax and bran in a batch are the flax and bran in the recipe. More below.
The claims
| Claim | Fiber per reference amount | Also |
|---|---|---|
| High fiber, rich in fiber, excellent source of fiber | 20% of 28 g or more: 5.6 g | Fat disclosure if not low fat |
| Good source of fiber, contains fiber, provides fiber | 10 to 19%: 2.8 to 5.5 g | Fat disclosure if not low fat |
| More fiber | A relative claim against a named food | Fat disclosure if not low fat |
Protein claims follow the same percentages, in high protein claim requirements, and the fat limits in fat free claim.
The rules
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| High | 20% or more of the daily value per reference amount (21 CFR 101.54(b)) |
| Good source | 10 to 19% of the daily value per reference amount (101.54(c)) |
| Fiber and fat | A fiber claim on a food that isn't low fat discloses total fat per serving next to the claim, at least half its type size (101.54(d)) |
| Daily value | Dietary fiber, 28 g (21 CFR 101.9(c)) |
| Reference amount | Grain-based bars, 40 g (21 CFR 101.12) |
This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: three bars
Ridgeline Bar Co., a made-up snack bar maker in Boulder, Colorado, was asked by a co-op buyer which of its bars could say "good source of fiber". Per 40 g bar:
| Bar | Fiber | Daily value | Fat | Claim | Fat disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oat and honey | 2 g | 7% | 9 g | None | |
| Flax and chia | 4 g | 14% | 11 g | Good source of fiber | Contains 11 g of total fat per serving |
| Bran and date | 6 g | 21% | 7 g | High fiber | Contains 7 g of total fat per serving |
None of the bars is low fat, so the two that claim fiber carry the total fat line beside the claim, at least half its size, followed by "see nutrition information for fat content". The oat and honey bar makes no claim. The fiber comes from the oats, flax, chia and bran in the recipes, not added isolated fibers, which have rules of their own. Each claimed bar carries a Nutrition Facts panel. How bars are made for stores by someone else is in protein bar co-packer.
Get the checker
Download the fiber claim checker. One sheet: each product's reference amount, fiber and fat; the percent of the daily value, the claim it can use, whether it's low fat, and the fat disclosure 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 batch short on bran because the bag ran out, and the high fiber wrappers aren't, which only the batch record can show.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the flax and bran in a batch are the flax and bran in the recipe.
Recipes by weight. Each bar is its own recipe, with its oats, flax and bran by weight.
Batches by lot. Each batch records which ingredient lots it used and how many bars it made, so a short batch shows.
Reorders. The reorder list shows bran and flax in days of cover, so a batch doesn't start short.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Which recipe a batch followed | Remembered | Each batch from its recipe |
| Bran used in a batch | Not recorded | Batches by lot |
| Bran before the next batch | A look in the bin | The reorder list |
Recipes, batches and the reorder list 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.