# lean-meal — FDA nutrient content claim qualification criteria

For lean-meal, claim term is lean; nutrient is total fat; food format is meal; threshold is less than 10 g total fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per 100 g and per labeled serving; cfr section is 21 CFR 101.62(e)(3), recorded from its source on 2026-08-17.

- **Claim ID:** lean-meal _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Claim term:** lean _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Nutrient:** total fat _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Food format:** meal _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Threshold:** less than 10 g total fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per 100 g and per labeled serving _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR section:** 21 CFR 101.62(e)(3) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> The term “lean” may be used on the label or in labeling of foods except meal products as defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.13#p-101.13(l)> § 101.13(l) and main dish products as defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.13#p-101.13(m)> § 101.13(m) provided that the food is a seafood or game meat product and as packaged contains less than 10 g total fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per reference amount customarily consumed and per 100 g; ( 2 ) The term defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.62#p-101.62(e)(1)> paragraph (e)(1) of this section may be used on the label or in labeling of a mixed dish not measurable with a cup as defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.12#p-101.12(b)> § 101.12(b) in table 2, provided that the food contains less than 8 g total fat, 3.5 g or less saturated fat and less than 80 mg cholesterol per reference amount customarily consumed; ( 3 ) The term defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.62#p-101.62(e)(1)> paragraph (e)(1) of this section may be used on the label or in the labeling of meal products as defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.13#p-101.13(l)> § 101.13(l) or main dish products as defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.13#p-101.13(m)> § 101.13(m) provided that the food contains less than 10 g total fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per 100 g and per labeled serving;

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-D/section-101.62

Last verified: 2026-08-17. Review by: 2027-08-17.
Part of [FDA nutrient content claim qualification criteria](https://referencesource.org/fda-nutrient-content-claim-criteria/).