"Light" or "lite" on a food label is a comparison, and FDA sets how big it has to be. If the food gets half or more of its calories from fat, its fat has to be cut by 50% or more against a reference food, such as your regular version. If it gets less than half its calories from fat, it needs a third fewer calories or 50% less fat. The label then says what it's compared with and by how much, next to the claim, "35% fewer calories and 54% less fat than our New York cheesecake", and gives the calories and fat of both foods. Light can't be used when the regular food is already low fat and low calorie. Miss those numbers, and the honest words are "reduced fat" or "reduced calorie", each needing 25% less. Like any claim, it brings a Nutrition Facts panel. In the example below, a North Dakota baker tests a light cheesecake and a lighter cheesecake bar.
The short version
- Half or more of calories from fat: light means 50% less fat than the reference food.
- Less than half from fat: a third fewer calories, or 50% less fat.
- Print the reference food and the reductions next to the claim.
- Give calories and fat for both foods.
- No light claim when the regular food is already low fat and low calorie.
- Reduced fat or reduced calorie: 25% less, with the comparison.
- TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the cream cheese in a batch is the recipe's. More below.
The tests
| The food | Light needs |
|---|---|
| Half or more of calories from fat | Fat reduced 50% or more |
| Less than half of calories from fat | Calories reduced a third or more, or fat reduced 50% or more |
| Reference food low fat and low calorie | No light claim |
| Missing light | Reduced fat or reduced calorie at 25% less |
Calorie claims on their own are in low calorie claim, and fat claims in fat free claim.
The rules
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| Light | The fat and calorie tests, the comparison next to the claim, calories and fat for both foods, and no light on a reference food already low fat and low calorie (21 CFR 101.56(b)) |
| Reduced | Reduced fat and reduced calorie at 25% less (21 CFR 101.62(b)(4), 101.60(b)(4)) |
| The exemption | The small business exemption from nutrition labeling applies only without nutrition claims (21 CFR 101.9(j)(1)) |
This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: a light cheesecake
Sakakawea Sweets, the made-up home baker in Bismarck, North Dakota, I use in these examples, wanted a lighter cheesecake for January customers. It made two, with Neufchâtel and Greek yogurt in place of some of the cream cheese:
| Product | Calories | Fat | Against the regular | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light New York cheesecake, a slice | 260 | 13 g | 35% fewer calories, 54% less fat than the 400-calorie, 28 g regular | Light |
| Lighter pumpkin cheesecake bar | 240 | 11 g | 20% fewer calories, 39% less fat than the 300-calorie, 18 g regular | Reduced fat |
The cheesecake makes light on both counts, and its label reads "Light New York cheesecake: 35% fewer calories and 54% less fat than our New York cheesecake; 260 calories, 13 g fat a slice; New York cheesecake, 400 calories, 28 g fat." The bar cut its fat by 39%, short of 50%, and its calories by 20%, short of a third, so it went out as "reduced fat", 39% less than the regular bar, with the same comparison. Both carry Nutrition Facts panels. How the cheesecakes are priced is in how to price cheesecake.
Get the checker
Download the light claim checker. One sheet: each product and its reference food's calories and fat; the reductions, the share of calories from fat, whether it can say light, reduced fat or reduced calorie, and the comparison to print 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 compares two recipes. When the regular cheesecake changes, a richer crust, a new cream cheese, the light one's comparison changes with it, and the label is wrong until someone works it out again.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the cream cheese in a batch is the recipe's cream cheese.
Recipes by weight. Each cheesecake is its own recipe, with its ingredients by weight.
Batches by lot. Each batch records which ingredient lots it used and how many cheesecakes 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 |
| Cream cheese 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.