English/Spanish Bilingual: FDA Nutrition Facts format
Dual-language nutrition labels. An FDA Nutrition Facts layout under 21 CFR 101.9, generated free with correct rounding and Daily Values.
Reviewed against 21 CFR 101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food) · Page updated September 16, 2026
Nutrition labelling requirements for English/Spanish Bilingual
Packaged food sold in the United States must carry a nutrition declaration under 21 CFR 101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food). This page covers the English/Spanish Bilingual format: Dual-language nutrition labels. A compliant nutrition label declares 15 mandatory nutrients: calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, vitamin d, calcium, iron and potassium. Values are declared per serving, with serving sizes set by the racc tables in 21 cfr 101.12, with energy in kcal, and sodium rather than salt. The panel is headed "Nutrition Facts". English is required on pack. There is no mandatory front-of-pack warning scheme. NFL builds a print-ready nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for the United States automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.
Official regulation
Key facts
When a bilingual English and Spanish Nutrition Facts label is mandatory
FDA's language rule in 21 CFR 101.15(c)(1), in force, requires label information to appear in English for foods distributed in the United States. The one exception is for products distributed solely in Puerto Rico or another US territory where another language predominates.
The trigger for a bilingual panel is 21 CFR 101.15(c)(2). If the label makes any representation in Spanish or another foreign language, all information required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act must also appear in that language, and that includes the Nutrition Facts. So a package with Spanish product claims or descriptions needs Spanish nutrition information too.
A bilingual panel is not needed just because a product is sold to Spanish-speaking customers. It is the use of Spanish on the label that makes the second language mandatory.
Source: 21 CFR 101.15(c), eCFR.
What 21 CFR 101.9(d)(14) allows for English and Spanish
When nutrition labeling must appear in a second language, 21 CFR 101.9(d)(14), in force, allows two layouts:
- a separate Nutrition Facts panel for each language; or
- one combined panel in which the Spanish follows the corresponding English.
In a combined panel, all required nutrition information must appear in both languages, which is mandatory. Numbers that are the same in both languages may voluntarily be shown only once, so a line can read "Sodium/Sodio 160mg" instead of repeating the figure.
The bilingual format does not change what is declared. The nutrients, order, Daily Values and other rules of 21 CFR 101.9 are the same as on an English-only panel.
Source: 21 CFR 101.9(d)(14), eCFR.
Layout rules for a Spanish Nutrition Facts label
FDA's published bilingual example shows a single panel with paired wording such as "Nutrition Facts/Datos de Nutrición", serving information in both languages, paired nutrient names and a bilingual footnote. It is a reference example, not a separate legal format.
The general formatting rules in 21 CFR 101.9(d) remain mandatory on a bilingual panel: the box and hairlines, a single easy-to-read type style, the minimum type sizes and the highlighting of calories and serving size. A combined panel is wider or taller than an English-only panel, so the extra text has to fit without dropping below those minimums.
If a combined panel will not fit, two separate panels, one in each language, remain a permitted option under the same rule.
Source: 21 CFR 101.9(d), eCFR, and FDA, Example of a Bilingual Format of the New Nutrition Facts Label.
Puerto Rico and Spanish-only Nutrition Facts labels
For food distributed solely in Puerto Rico, 21 CFR 101.15(c)(1) allows the predominant language to replace English. FDA's Compliance Policy Guide identifies Spanish as that language, so labels for products sold only in Puerto Rico may be in Spanish only.
The same Spanish-only label is not acceptable when the product is distributed elsewhere in the United States. A label with all required information in both English and Spanish may be used anywhere in the country.
FDA's policy prefers bilingual labels with two principal display panels, one in each language, but accepts other arrangements when all mandatory information appears in each language with enough prominence.
Source: FDA CPG Sec. 562.750, Labeling of Food Articles Distributed Solely in Puerto Rico.
Sources
Primary documents this page was written from, checked 2026-10-03.
How NFL handles it
- Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
- Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
- Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
- Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
- Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS
Deep dives
Common questions
Related formats
Free tools for this label
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How to generate one
- Open the generator: free account, no credit card
- Pick "English/Spanish Bilingual" from the format rail
- Enter your ingredients (search USDA FoodData Central or add a custom ingredient)
- The label renders live; export in one click