Potassium Rounding Rules on the 2016 Nutrition Facts Label

Potassium has moved from voluntary to mandatory on the FDA’s new 2016 Nutrition Facts Label. With the move comes new rounding rules.

1990 Nutrition Facts Label

On the 1990 Nutrition Facts Label, potassium is a voluntary nutrient. When it is listed on the label, it is placed beneath sodium in the upper part of the label, separate from the rest of the vitamins and minerals. Sodium and potassium have the same rounding rules for reporting quantity. These rules are:

• < 5 mg – express as 0
• 5 – 140 mg – express to nearest 5 mg increment
• > 140 mg – express to nearest 10 mg increment

The adult DRV for potassium is 3500 mg, and the percent DV is reported to the nearest whole number.

2016 Nutrition Facts Label

On the 2016 Nutrition Facts Label, potassium is a mandatory nutrient and is now placed in the lower part of the label with the rest of the vitamins and minerals. The new labeling regulations require that a quantity be listed for potassium, rounded to the nearest whole number.

The adult RDI for potassium is 4700 mg and the percent DV is expressed the same as it is for the other vitamins and minerals:

• <= 10% level expressed to the nearest 2-percent increment
• 10% – 50% level expressed to the nearest 5-percent increment
• > 50% level expressed to the nearest 10-percent increment
• “Quantitative amounts and percentages of vitamins and minerals present at less than 2 percent of the RDI are not required to be declared in nutrition labeling but may be declared by a zero or by the use of an asterisk (or other symbol) that refers to another asterisk (or symbol) that is placed at the bottom of the table and that is followed by the statement  “Contains less than 2 percent of the Daily Value of this (these) nutrient (nutrients)” or  “Contains <2 percent of the Daily Value of this (these) nutrient (nutrients).”” CFR 101.9
• “if vitamin D, calcium, iron, or potassium is present in amounts less than 2 percent of the RDI, label declaration of the nutrient(s) is not required if the statement  “Not a significant source of—(listing the vitamins or minerals omitted)” is placed at the bottom of the table of nutrient values. ” CFR 101.9

Additional rules apply based on label format, like the Simplified format and labels for small packages.