"Low fat" means 3 grams of fat or less in the food's reference amount, the serving FDA sets for that kind of food. For foods with small reference amounts, 30 g or less or 2 tablespoons or less, there's a second test: 3 grams or less per 50 grams too, so a dip can't pass by being served in a spoonful. "Fat free" needs less than half a gram. "Reduced fat" is a comparison: 25% less than the regular version, with the comparison printed. A food that's low in fat without being changed says so: "a low fat food", not "low fat cheese" as if it were special. Any of these claims brings a Nutrition Facts panel. In the example below, a Dearborn dip maker checks four dips.
The short version
- Low fat: 3 g or less of fat per reference amount.
- Reference amount 30 g or less, or 2 tablespoons or less: also 3 g or less per 50 g.
- All dips have a reference amount of 2 tablespoons, so dips get both tests.
- Fat free: less than 0.5 g, and no added fat ingredient unless marked.
- Reduced fat: 25% less than the regular version, with the comparison.
- Any claim brings a Nutrition Facts panel.
- TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the tahini in a batch is the recipe's. More below.
The tests
| Claim | Reference amount over 30 g | Reference amount 30 g or less, or 2 tbsp or less |
|---|---|---|
| Fat free | Under 0.5 g per reference amount and per serving | Under 0.5 g per reference amount and per serving |
| Low fat | 3 g or less per reference amount | 3 g or less per reference amount and per 50 g |
| Reduced fat | 25% less than a reference food, with the comparison | Same |
How a Nutrition Facts panel is put together is in how to make a nutrition label, and saturated fat's own claims in low saturated fat claim.
The rules
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| Low fat | 3 g or less per reference amount; with a reference amount of 30 g or less or 2 tablespoons or less, also per 50 g (21 CFR 101.62(b)(2)) |
| Fat free | Less than 0.5 g per reference amount and per labeled serving; no added fat ingredient unless marked (21 CFR 101.62(b)(1)) |
| Foods low in fat without changes | Labeled to say fat is not normally present, such as "a low fat food" (21 CFR 101.62(b)(2)) |
| Dips' reference amount | 2 tablespoons for all dips (21 CFR 101.12(b)) |
| The exemption | No small business exemption once a claim is made (21 CFR 101.9(j)(1)) |
This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: four dips checked
Cedar & Olive Dips, the made-up dip maker in Dearborn, Michigan, I use in these examples, had a grocer ask for a low fat dip, and checked its four, each 30 grams in 2 tablespoons:
| Dip | Fat per 2 tbsp, 30 g | Fat per 50 g | Low fat? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic hummus | 5.0 g | 8.3 g | No |
| Tzatziki, made with nonfat yogurt | 1.0 g | 1.7 g | Yes: low fat |
| Baba ganoush | 2.0 g | 3.3 g | No: fails the 50 g test |
| Muhammara | 6.0 g | 10.0 g | No |
Baba ganoush passes the first test at 2 grams and fails the second at 3.3 grams per 50 g, which is the test that catches small servings. The tzatziki is low fat because it's made with nonfat yogurt, so it can say "low fat tzatziki". A lighter hummus with 3.5 grams, 30% less than the classic, can say "reduced fat" with the comparison: "30% less fat than our classic hummus; 3.5 g vs 5 g per serving". How long the dips keep is in hummus shelf life.
Get the checker
Download the low fat claim checker. One sheet: each product, its reference amount in grams and its fat per reference amount; the fat per 50 g and whether it can say low fat, or fat free, 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 numbers are right for the recipe tested. A batch of baba ganoush with a heavier pour of olive oil, or tzatziki made with whole-milk yogurt the week the nonfat ran out, changes the fat while the tub still says low fat.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so the tahini in a batch is the recipe's tahini.
Recipes by weight. Each dip is its own recipe, with its ingredients by weight.
Batches by lot. Each batch records which ingredient lots it used and how many tubs 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 |
| Tahini 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.