Percent Daily Value is the amount of a nutrient in a serving divided by its Daily Value, times 100. The Daily Values are set by FDA for adults and children 4 and older: total fat 78 g, saturated fat 20 g, cholesterol 300 mg, sodium 2,300 mg, total carbohydrate 275 g, dietary fiber 28 g, added sugars 50 g, protein 50 g, and for the four required minerals and vitamin, vitamin D 20 mcg, calcium 1,300 mg, iron 18 mg and potassium 4,700 mg. Macronutrients round to the nearest whole percent; vitamins and minerals round to the nearest 2% up to 10, 5% up to 50, and 10% above. Protein's %DV is optional unless you make a protein claim, and then it's corrected for protein quality. In the example below, a Wisconsin yogurt maker works out its labels.
The short version
- %DV = amount in a serving ÷ Daily Value × 100.
- Fat 78 g, saturated fat 20 g, sodium 2,300 mg, carbs 275 g, fiber 28 g, added sugars 50 g, protein 50 g.
- Vitamin D 20 mcg, calcium 1,300 mg, iron 18 mg, potassium 4,700 mg.
- Macronutrients: nearest whole percent.
- Vitamins and minerals: nearest 2% to 10, 5% to 50, 10% above.
- Protein %DV is required with a protein claim, corrected for quality.
- TaroStack keeps each recipe by weight, so a batch's ingredients are on record. More below.
The Daily Values
| Nutrient | Daily Value |
|---|---|
| Total fat | 78 g |
| Saturated fat | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 300 mg |
| Sodium | 2,300 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 275 g |
| Dietary fiber | 28 g |
| Added sugars | 50 g |
| Protein | 50 g |
| Vitamin D | 20 mcg |
| Calcium | 1,300 mg |
| Iron | 18 mg |
| Potassium | 4,700 mg |
What a %DV lets a label claim, such as "good source of calcium" at 10% to 19%, is in good source of calcium, and rounding the amounts first in nutrition label rounding rules.
The rules
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| Daily Reference Values | Fat 78 g, saturated fat 20 g, cholesterol 300 mg, carbohydrate 275 g, sodium 2,300 mg, fiber 28 g, protein 50 g, added sugars 50 g (21 CFR 101.9(c)(9)) |
| Reference Daily Intakes | Vitamin D 20 mcg, calcium 1,300 mg, iron 18 mg, potassium 4,700 mg, among others (101.9(c)(8)(iv)) |
| Vitamin and mineral rounding | Nearest 2% up to and including 10%, nearest 5% above 10 up to 50, nearest 10% above 50 (101.9(c)(8)(iii)) |
| Other nutrients | Nearest whole percent, dividing the declared or the unrounded amount by the Daily Value (101.9(d)(7)(ii)) |
This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: a high-protein yogurt
Prairie Hollow Creamery, the made-up yogurt maker in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, I use in these examples, worked out the %DV for a 170-gram cup of its new plain high-protein yogurt:
| Nutrient | Amount | Daily Value | %DV on the label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total fat | 4 g | 78 g | 5% |
| Saturated fat | 2.5 g | 20 g | 13% |
| Cholesterol | 15 mg | 300 mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 65 mg | 2,300 mg | 3% |
| Total carbohydrate | 7 g | 275 g | 3% |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 50 g | 0% |
| Protein | 17 g | 50 g | 34% before the quality correction |
| Calcium | 200 mg | 1,300 mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 240 mg | 4,700 mg | 6% |
Calcium works out to 15.4%, which rounds to the nearest 5% above 10, so 15%; potassium is 5.1%, rounded to the nearest 2%, so 6%. Protein's %DV is shown because the cup says "high protein", and the 34% is corrected for protein quality before it goes on the label; milk protein scores near the top, so the correction is small. The yogurt's year is in yogurt business plan.
Get the checker
Download the percent Daily Value calculator. One sheet: each nutrient, its amount per serving, its Daily Value and whether it's a vitamin or mineral; the %DV and the rounded figure for the label 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 calculator divides what you give it. The amounts come from the recipe, and a recipe change from 2% milk to whole changes the fat line on every cup.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each yogurt as a recipe by weight, so the ingredients behind its label are on record for every batch.
Recipes by weight. Each yogurt is a recipe by weight: milk, cultures and any fruit.
Batches from the recipe. Each batch records the recipe it followed and the ingredient lots it used.
Recalls. If a batch went out with the wrong label, one report shows every customer who got it.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Which recipe a batch followed | Remembered | Each batch from its recipe |
| A recipe change that alters the label | Noticed late | The recipe on record |
| Who got a mislabeled 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.