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

For reduced-fat-main-dish, claim term is reduced fat; nutrient is total fat; food format is main dish; threshold is at least 25 percent less fat per 100 g of food than an appropriate reference food; cfr section is 21 CFR 101.62(b)(5)(i), recorded from its source on 2026-08-17.

- **Claim ID:** reduced-fat-main-dish _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Claim term:** reduced fat _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Nutrient:** total fat _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Food format:** main dish _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Threshold:** at least 25 percent less fat per 100 g of food than an appropriate reference food _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR section:** 21 CFR 101.62(b)(5)(i) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> The terms “reduced fat,” “reduced in fat,” “fat reduced,” “less fat,” “lower fat,” or “lower in fat” may be used on the label or in the 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: ( i ) The food contains at least 25 percent less fat 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 fat differs between the two foods and are declared in immediate proximity to the most prominent such claim (e.g., “reduced fat—50 percent less fat than our regular brownies”); and ( B ) Quantitative information comparing the level of fat in the product per labeled serving with that of the reference food that it replaces (e.g., “Fat content has been reduced from 8 g to 4 g 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-101.62#p-101.62(b)(4)> paragraph (b)(4) of this section may not be made on the label or in the labeling of a food if the nutrient content of the reference food meets the definition for “low fat.” ( 5 ) The terms defined in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-101.62#p-101.62(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 less fat 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-101.62

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/).