Guide
How to label granola for sale in the US
A US granola pouch needs the name, net weight, oats-first ingredients if oats dominate, nut and sesame names, added sugars from maple or honey, Nutrition Facts with a cereal serving, and your address. A kraft window without those words is a window, not a label.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
A US granola pouch needs the name, net weight, oats-first ingredients if oats dominate, nut and sesame names, added sugars from maple or honey, Nutrition Facts with a cereal serving, and your address. A kraft window without those words is a window, not a label.
Where this shows up in a real kitchen
Covered in the granola category page as strategy; this page is the pouch walk-through. People still bury pecans after “superfood blend”. They still set servings at one tablespoon. A window that shows pecan halves while Contains is blank is an argument with the customer and with FDA at the same time.
The US rule
FDA packaged cereal/snack food. Identity and net weight on the front. Ingredients in descending weight. FALCPA nut types and sesame if present. Nutrition Facts with a cereal RACC, not a marketing pinch. Cottage-food disclaimer if you are in that lane and the state allows granola.
How to apply it
Print a draft list from the batch sheet. Sort by weight — oats first if they dominate, then syrup, then nuts. Declare pecan or almond as that nut. Put 12 oz (or the real fill) on the front. Calculate added sugars from maple, honey or cane syrup. Proof the window against Contains. Recalculate when you add coconut chips or wheat-bound clusters.
- Weigh the batch.
- Declare nuts and sesame actually in this SKU.
- Set ounces and a RACC serving.
- Match the window to the Contains line.
Worked example
12 oz maple pecan pouch: oats, maple syrup, pecan pieces, sunflower oil, salt. Contains: pecan. Nutrition Facts for the granola serving FDA expects, maple in added sugars. A seed SKU sold beside it — oats, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, honey — Contains: sesame only. Do not copy either Contains line onto the other pouch.
Checks that belong on this pack
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| This SKU’s nuts only | Do not copy the seed-granola Contains line. |
| Maple in added sugars | Front copy cannot zero it. |
| Net weight is granola, not pouch | Tare the kraft. |
| Gluten-free oats if you claim gluten-free | Otherwise do not claim it. |
A seed mix labeled “spices”
Sesame in a seed mix is sesame. Spices are spices.
What LabelClear can and cannot print
Paste this SKU’s mix, not last month’s. Mark pecans and sesame only when they are in the bag.
Questions
Can I sell granola in unlabeled compostable bags?
Do clusters change the list?
Is coconut sugar better on the panel?
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
- Nutrition labeling requirementsU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Food allergiesU.S. Food and Drug Administration
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