Can You Label Your Food Keto or Low-Carb? The FDA Rule
Keto and low-carb move product, so sellers reach for them fast. Here is the part that surprises people: the FDA has never defined either one. That does not make them safe to slap on a label. It makes them a different kind of risk.
There is no legal keto or low-carb limit
Unlike sugar-free or low-fat, keto and low-carb have no FDA definition and no set number a food has to meet. Because there is no official threshold, the words carry no fixed promise. That does not make them safe: the FDA can still treat a claim as misleading if the food does not match what a buyer would reasonably expect.
You can describe the carbs, factually
What you can do is state facts. Your panel already shows total carbohydrate, fiber, and sugars per serving. Putting those real numbers on the front, or a plain phrase like a set number of grams of carbs per serving, is factual and verifiable in a way the buzzword is not.
Net carbs is also not an FDA-defined term, so if you use it, be ready to explain how you calculated it, and know it does not replace the total carbohydrate line the panel requires.
A claim still triggers the panel
Even an undefined term, once it works as a nutrition claim, pulls in the full Nutrition Facts panel and voids the exemptions some cottage sellers rely on. And the ingredient list and allergen line are required no matter what the front of the package says.
What Nutripane does and does not do
Nutripane builds the panel with real total-carbohydrate, fiber, and sugar numbers from USDA values, so you can present facts instead of an undefined buzzword. It does not certify a keto or low-carb claim, because no such standard exists. Keep front-of-pack wording factual, and check the current FDA rules before you print.
Questions
Is there an FDA definition of keto or low-carb?
No. The FDA has not defined keto, low-carb, or net carbs for food labels, so there is no threshold that makes a food officially keto. You can state the actual carbohydrate numbers from your panel, which are factual, but the buzzwords carry no defined meaning and can be judged misleading.
Can I put net carbs on my label?
You can, but net carbs is not an FDA-defined term, so it does not replace the required total carbohydrate line on the panel. Show total carbohydrate as the rules require, and if you add a net-carb figure, be prepared to show how you reached it.
Keep reading
This page is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food and food labeling rules vary by state and change over time. Confirm current requirements with your state's cottage food program and the FDA before you sell. See your state's rules or how to label your product.