This page contains all you need to know to determine if a product meets USDA Child Nutrition Program (CN) meal pattern guidelines. It also provides information about what a CN Label is, the value of CN Labels, and Nutrient Analysis guidelines.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling Program provides food manufacturers the option to include a standardized food crediting statement on their product label.

The program requires an evaluation of a product’s formulation by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to determine its contribution toward USDA Child Nutrition Program meal pattern requirements. Manufacturers are allowed to state this contribution on their labels.

The program also provides a warranty against audit claims for purchasers of CN-labeled products.

General Information

• Manufacturer Documentation: Child Nutrition Labels and Product Formulation Statements (USDA)
• Tip Sheet for Accepting Processed Product Documentation [ 286.3 kB ]

CN Labeling

• Child Nutrition Labels 101 [ 1 MB ]
• Child Nutrition Labeling Program
• USDA Authorized CN Labels

Nutrient Analysis

• Food and Drug Administration's New Nutrition Facts Label - A Division of Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Training [ 3.1 MB ]
• USDA Approved Nutrient Analysis Software
• USDA Food Data Central (Formerly the USDA Food Composition Database)

USDA Foods

• USDA Foods Fact Sheets