Guide
How to label candy and confections in the US
US retail candy needs identity, net weight, ingredients, FALCPA names (milk in chocolate, egg in nougat, peanut, tree nuts, soy lecithin, wheat in biscuit bits, sesame in some halvah), Nutrition Facts, and an address. A cellophane twist with a flavor flag is not a label.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
US retail candy needs identity, net weight, ingredients, FALCPA names (milk in chocolate, egg in nougat, peanut, tree nuts, soy lecithin, wheat in biscuit bits, sesame in some halvah), Nutrition Facts, and an address. A cellophane twist with a flavor flag is not a label.
Where this shows up in a real kitchen
Small-batch caramel shops, fudge counters and “pick-and-mix” online bags miss soy in chocolate, milk in white chocolate, and peanuts in a brittle that was mixed on the same marble as the sea-salt caramels. Halvah and sesame snaps became FASTER problems in 2023.
The US rule
FDA packaged food. FALCPA names. Small-package Nutrition Facts exemptions exist for tiny packs — they have area tests, not “it is candy so skip it”. Multi-unit packs need the inner or outer pack to carry the required particulars so the consumer still sees them.
How to apply it
List sugar, cream (milk), butter (milk), chocolate (soy, milk), peanuts if brittle. Contains the majors that are in that SKU. Weigh the bag. If you scoop pick-and-mix into an unlabeled bag, you became the packer.
- Write the confection formula, including chocolate specs.
- Declare milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat and sesame as present.
- Label bags you fill; do not rely on a jar card behind the counter once the bag leaves.
- Check small-package rules before skipping Nutrition Facts.
Worked example
4 oz bag of sea-salt caramels: sugar, cream (milk), butter (milk), salt. Contains: milk. A peanut-brittle SKU from the same marble: peanuts, sugar, butter (milk). Contains: peanut, milk. Halvah: sesame, sugar — Contains: sesame. Three bags, three lines.
Checks that belong on this pack
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Chocolate spec is current | Soy lecithin and milk come and go. |
| Peanut brittle says peanut | Brittle is not a legal allergen name. |
| Halvah says sesame | FASTER did not skip confectioners. |
| Pick-and-mix bags you fill have particulars | The jar card stayed in the shop. |
A holiday tin with one Contains: everything line for mixed sweets
If the tin is mixed SKUs, either label each sweet or write a list that is true for the assortment. Dumping all nine majors because one peanut was possible trains people to ignore you. If peanut is an ingredient in the tin, name peanut.
What LabelClear can and cannot print
Paste this SKU’s sugar, dairy and inclusions. Mark milk, peanut, sesame and soy when they are in the candy. Then add net weight. Tiny packs may skip Nutrition Facts — measure the package, do not assume.
Questions
Is sugar an allergen?
Do I need a color-additive declaration?
Are alcohol-filled chocolates different?
Official sources
Everything on this page traces back to these. Where they and we disagree, they are right — tell us and we'll fix it.
- Food Labeling GuideU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Food allergiesU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Nutrition labeling requirementsU.S. Food and Drug Administration
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