[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR101.56]

[Page 98-99]
 
                        TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
 
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                           SERVICES--CONTINUED
 
PART 101--FOOD LABELING--Table of Contents
 
      Subpart D--Specific Requirements for Nutrient Content Claims
 
Sec. 101.56  Nutrient content claims for ``light'' or ``lite.''

    (a) General requirements. A claim using the term light or lite to 
describe a food may only be made on the label or in labeling of the food 
if:
    (1) The claim uses one of the terms defined in this section in 
accordance with the definition for that term;
    (2) The claim is made in accordance with the general requirements 
for nutrient content claims in Sec. 101.13; and
    (3) The food is labeled in accordance with Sec. 101.9 or 
Sec. 101.10, where applicable.
    (b) ``Light'' claims. The terms ``light'' or ``lite'' may be used on 
the label or in the labeling of foods, except meal products as defined 
in Sec. 101.13(l) and main dish products as defined in Sec. 101.13(m), 
without further qualification, provided that:
    (1) If the food derives 50 percent or more of its calories from fat, 
its fat content is reduced by 50 percent or more per reference amount 
customarily consumed compared to an appropriate reference food as 
specified in Sec. 101.13(j)(1); or
    (2) If the food derives less than 50 percent of its calories from 
fat:
    (i) The number of calories is reduced by at least one-third (33 1/3 
percent) per reference amount customarily consumed compared to an 
appropriate reference food; or
    (ii) Its fat content is reduced by 50 percent or more per reference 
amount customarily consumed compared to the reference food that it 
resembles or for which it substitutes as specified in Sec. 101.13(j)(1); 
and
    (3) As required in Sec. 101.13(j)(2) for relative claims:
    (i) The identity of the reference food and the percent (or fraction) 
that the calories and the fat were reduced are declared in immediate 
proximity to the most prominent such claim, (e.g., ``1/3 fewer calories 
and 50 percent less fat than our regular cheese cake'');
    (ii) Quantitative information comparing the level of calories and 
fat content in the product per labeled serving size with that of the 
reference food that it replaces (e.g., ``lite cheesecake--200 calories, 
4 grams (g) fat per serving; regular cheesecake--300 calories, 8 g fat 
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 Sec. 101.2; and
    (iii) If the labeled food contains less than 40 calories or less 
than 3 g fat per reference amount customarily consumed, the percentage 
reduction for that nutrient need not be declared.
    (4) A ``light'' claim may not be made on a food for which the 
reference food meets the definition of ``low fat'' and ``low calorie.''
    (c)(1)(i) A product for which the reference food contains 40 
calories or less and 3 g fat or less per reference amount customarily 
consumed may use the term ``light'' or ``lite'' without further 
qualification if it is reduced by 50 percent or more in sodium content 
compared to the reference food; and
    (ii) As required in Sec. 101.13(j)(2) for relative claims:
    (A) The identity of the reference food and the percent (or fraction) 
that the sodium was reduced shall be declared in immediate proximity to 
the most prominent such claim (e.g., 50 percent less sodium than our 
regular soy sauce); and
    (B) Quantitative information comparing the level of sodium per 
labeled serving size with that of the reference food that it replaces 
(e.g., ``lite soy sauce 500 milligrams (mg) sodium per serving; regular 
soy sauce 1,000 mg 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 
Sec. 101.2.
    (2)(i) A product for which the reference food contains more than 40 
calories or more than 3 g fat per reference amount customarily consumed 
may use the term ``light in sodium'' or ``lite in sodium'' if it is 
reduced by 50 percent or more in sodium content compared to the 
reference food, provided that ``light'' or ``lite'' is presented in 
immediate proximity with ``in sodium'' and the entire term is presented 
in uniform type size, style, color, and prominence; and

[[Page 99]]

    (ii) As required in Sec. 101.13(j)(2) for relative claims:
    (A) The identity of the reference food and the percent (or fraction) 
that the sodium was reduced shall be declared in immediate proximity to 
the most prominent such claim (e.g., 50 percent less sodium than our 
regular canned peas); and
    (B) Quantitative information comparing the level of sodium per 
labeled serving size with that of the reference food that it replaces 
(e.g., ``lite canned peas, 175 mg sodium per serving; regular canned 
peas 350 mg 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 Sec. 101.2.
    (iii) Except for meal products as defined in Sec. 101.13(l) and main 
dish products as defined in Sec. 101.13(m), a ``light in sodium'' claim 
may not be made on a food for which the reference food meets the 
definition of ``low in sodium''.
    (d)(1) The terms ``light'' or ``lite'' may be used on the label or 
in the labeling of a meal product as defined in Sec. 101.13(l) and a 
main dish product as defined in Sec. 101.13(m), provided that:
    (i) The food meets the definition of:
    (A) ``Low in calories'' as defined in Sec. 101.60(b)(3); or
    (B) ``Low in fat'' as defined in Sec. 101.62(b)(3); and
    (ii)(A) A statement appears on the principal display panel that 
explains whether ``light'' is used to mean ``low fat,'' ``low 
calories,'' or both (e.g., ``Light Delight, a low fat meal''); and
    (B) The accompanying statement is no less than one-half the type 
size of the ``light'' or ``lite'' claim.
    (2)(i) The term ``light in sodium'' or ``lite in sodium'' may be 
used on the label or in the labeling of a meal product as defined in 
Sec. 101.13(l) and a main dish product as defined in Sec. 101.13(m), 
provided that the food meets the definition of ``low in sodium'' as 
defined in Sec. 101.61(b)(5)(i); and
    (ii) ``Light'' or ``lite'' and ``in sodium'' are presented in 
uniform type size, style, color, and prominence.
    (e) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this 
section, the term ``light'' or ``lite'' may not be used to refer to a 
food that is not reduced in fat by 50 percent, or, if applicable, in 
calories by 1/3 or, when properly qualified, in sodium by 50 percent 
unless:
    (1) It describes some physical or organoleptic attribute of the food 
such as texture or color and the information (e.g., ``light in color'' 
or ``light in texture'') so stated, clearly conveys the nature of the 
product; and
    (2) The attribute (e.g., ``color'' or ``texture'') is in the same 
style, color, and at least one-half the type size as the word ``light'' 
and in immediate proximity thereto.
    (f) If a manufacturer can demonstrate that the word ``light'' has 
been associated, through common use, with a particular food to reflect a 
physical or organoleptic attribute (e.g., light brown sugar, light corn 
syrup, or light molasses) to the point where it has become part of the 
statement of identity, such use of the term ``light'' shall not be 
considered a nutrient content claim subject to the requirements in this 
part.
    (g) The term ``lightly salted'' may be used on a product to which 
has been added 50 percent less sodium than is normally added to the 
reference food as described in Sec. 101.13(j)(1)(i)(B) and 
(j)(1)(ii)(B), provided that if the product is not ``low in sodium'' as 
defined in Sec. 101.61(b)(4), the statement ``not a low sodium food,'' 
shall appear adjacent to the nutrition label of the food bearing the 
claim, or, if the nutrition label is on the information panel, it may 
appear elsewhere on the information panel in accordance with Sec. 101.2 
and the information required to accompany a relative claim shall appear 
on the label or labeling as specified in Sec. 101.13(j)(2).

[58 FR 2413, Jan. 6, 1993; 58 FR 17342, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 60 
FR 17206, Apr. 5, 1995]