Nutrition label for jerky
Jerky made from meat is regulated by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), not the FDA. The nutrition rules are in 9 CFR 317 Subpart B, and the small business exemption is narrower than most people expect.
The small business exemption
From 9 CFR 317.400(a)(1). All of it has to be true.
Employees at the single plant, or across the whole company if it has several plants.
Of that product in a year. It is measured as the most recent 2-year average. New firms use a reasonable estimate.
The rule requires that the label “bear no nutrition claims or nutrition information.”
A formulation sold in any package size. Distinct flavors that do not significantly change the nutrition count as the same product.
So a jerky maker who prints calories, protein or a “high protein” line on the bag has used up the exemption for that label, and needs a full panel.
If you need the panel
Use the FSIS serving size
9 CFR 317.312(b), Table 2, lists dried meat such as jerky at 30 g. You convert it to a household measure, such as a piece count, with the weight in grams beside it.
Weigh the finished batch
Jerky loses a lot of water as it dries. Weigh the whole batch after drying and enter that weight. BatchFacts divides the recipe’s nutrients across the finished weight. It does not estimate drying loss for you.
Get the label approved
FSIS has its own label approval step. Under 9 CFR 412.1, a final label may not be used until it has been submitted to FSIS and approved, except for generically approved labels allowed in 412.2.
What BatchFacts does and does not do here
It does
Adds up the nutrients in your recipe, divides them by the finished weight you enter, and lays out a Nutrition Facts panel you can check against the FSIS rules.
It does not
Apply FSIS rules for you, pick a jerky serving size, or handle label approval. Confirm the format and the numbers with FSIS before you print. Poultry products are under a separate part of the rules.
Total your jerky recipe
Free label, no account, no card. Save recipes with Starter, $19 a month or $149 a year.
Sources: 9 CFR 317.400, 9 CFR 317 Subpart B (including 317.312), and 9 CFR 412.1, eCFR, read Oct 21, 2026. Check the current rule before you rely on it. This is not legal advice.