# reduced-calorie-main-dish — FDA nutrient content claim qualification criteria

For reduced-calorie-main-dish, claim term is reduced calorie; nutrient is calories; food format is main dish; threshold is at least 25 percent fewer calories per 100 g of food than an appropriate reference food; cfr section is 21 CFR 101.60(b)(5)(i), recorded from its source on 2026-08-17.

- **Claim ID:** reduced-calorie-main-dish _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Claim term:** reduced calorie _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Nutrient:** calories _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Food format:** main dish _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Threshold:** at least 25 percent fewer calories per 100 g of food than an appropriate reference food _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR section:** 21 CFR 101.60(b)(5)(i) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> The terms “reduced calorie,” “reduced in calories,” “calorie reduced,” “fewer calories,” “lower calorie,” or “lower in calories” may be used on the label or in the labeling of foods, except as limited by <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.13#p-101.13(j)(1)(i)> § 101.13(j)(1)(i) and 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: ( i ) The food contains at least 25 percent fewer calories per reference amount customarily consumed than an appropriate reference food as described in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.13#p-101.13(j)(1)> § 101.13(j)(1) ; and ( ii ) As required in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.13#p-101.13(j)(2)> § 101.13(j)(2) for relative claims: ( A ) The identity of the reference food and the percent (or fraction) that the calories differ between the two foods are declared in immediate proximity to the most prominent such claim (e.g., reduced calorie cupcakes “33 1 ⁄ 3 percent fewer calories than regular cupcakes”); and ( B ) Quantitative information comparing the level of the nutrient per labeled serving size with that of the reference food that it replaces (e.g., “Calorie content has been reduced from 150 to 100 calories per serving.”) is declared adjacent to the most prominent claim or to the nutrition label, except that if the nutrition label is on the information panel, the quantitative information may be located elsewhere on the information panel in accordance with <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.2> § 101.2 . ( iii ) Claims described in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.60#p-101.60(b)(4)> paragraph (b)(4) of this section may not be made on the label or labeling of foods if the reference food meets the definition for “low calorie.” ( 5 ) The terms defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.60#p-101.60(b)(4)> paragraph (b)(4) 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) 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: ( i ) The food contains at least 25 percent fewer calories per 100 g of food than an appropriate reference food

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-D/section-101.60

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/).