Cholesterol — FDA Daily Value
The FDA Daily Value for Cholesterol is 300 mg for adults and children 4 or more years of age — a Daily Reference Value (DRV) scaled to a 2,000-calorie diet. It changes by population group; see the exact numbers below.
A serving with 90 mg of cholesterol provides 90 ÷ 300 × 100 = 30% DV (High).
Cholesterol rounding rules
Amount
Cholesterol is declared to the nearest 5mg — measuring finer than that changes nothing on the label.
| Amount range | Rounding rule |
|---|---|
| 0 to <2 | declared as 0mg |
| 2 to 5 | less than 5 milligrams |
| >5 | nearest 5mg |
% Daily Value
| %DV range | Rounding rule |
|---|---|
| ≥0 | nearest 1% |
How much Cholesterol is behind each %DV?
What a serving has to contain for a label to print each figure. The %DV is worked out from the actual amount, before that amount is rounded.
| If the label shows | The serving must contain |
|---|---|
| Nearest 1%≥0% DV | |
| 0% DV | 0 mg≤ amount <1.5 mg |
| 1% DV | 1.5 mg≤ amount <4.5 mg |
| 2% DV | 4.5 mg≤ amount <7.5 mg |
| 3% DV | 7.5 mg≤ amount <10.5 mg |
| 4% DV | 10.5 mg≤ amount <13.5 mg |
| 5% DV | 13.5 mg≤ amount <16.5 mg |
| 6% DV | 16.5 mg≤ amount <19.5 mg |
| 7% DV | 19.5 mg≤ amount <22.5 mg |
| 8% DV | 22.5 mg≤ amount <25.5 mg |
| 9% DV | 25.5 mg≤ amount <28.5 mg |
| 10% DV | 28.5 mg≤ amount <31.5 mg |
| 11% DV | 31.5 mg≤ amount <34.5 mg |
| 12% DV | 34.5 mg≤ amount <37.5 mg |
| 13% DV | 37.5 mg≤ amount <40.5 mg |
| 14% DV | 40.5 mg≤ amount <43.5 mg |
| 15% DV | 43.5 mg≤ amount <46.5 mg |
| 16% DV | 46.5 mg≤ amount <49.5 mg |
| 17% DV | 49.5 mg≤ amount <52.5 mg |
| 18% DV | 52.5 mg≤ amount <55.5 mg |
| 19% DV | 55.5 mg≤ amount <58.5 mg |
| 20% DV | 58.5 mg≤ amount <61.5 mg |
| 21% DV | 61.5 mg≤ amount <64.5 mg |
| 22% DV | 64.5 mg≤ amount <67.5 mg |
| 23% DV | 67.5 mg≤ amount <70.5 mg |
| 24% DV | 70.5 mg≤ amount <73.5 mg |
| 25% DV | 73.5 mg≤ amount <76.5 mg |
| 26% DV | 76.5 mg≤ amount <79.5 mg |
| 27% DV | 79.5 mg≤ amount <82.5 mg |
| 28% DV | 82.5 mg≤ amount <85.5 mg |
| 29% DV | 85.5 mg≤ amount <88.5 mg |
| 30% DV | 88.5 mg≤ amount <91.5 mg |
| 31% DV | 91.5 mg≤ amount <94.5 mg |
| 32% DV | 94.5 mg≤ amount <97.5 mg |
| 33% DV | 97.5 mg≤ amount <100.5 mg |
| 34% DV | 100.5 mg≤ amount <103.5 mg |
| 35% DV | 103.5 mg≤ amount <106.5 mg |
| 36% DV | 106.5 mg≤ amount <109.5 mg |
| 37% DV | 109.5 mg≤ amount <112.5 mg |
| 38% DV | 112.5 mg≤ amount <115.5 mg |
| 39% DV | 115.5 mg≤ amount <118.5 mg |
| 40% DV | 118.5 mg≤ amount <121.5 mg |
| 41% DV | 121.5 mg≤ amount <124.5 mg |
| 42% DV | 124.5 mg≤ amount <127.5 mg |
| 43% DV | 127.5 mg≤ amount <130.5 mg |
| 44% DV | 130.5 mg≤ amount <133.5 mg |
| 45% DV | 133.5 mg≤ amount <136.5 mg |
| 46% DV | 136.5 mg≤ amount <139.5 mg |
| 47% DV | 139.5 mg≤ amount <142.5 mg |
| 48% DV | 142.5 mg≤ amount <145.5 mg |
| 49% DV | 145.5 mg≤ amount <148.5 mg |
| 50% DV | 148.5 mg≤ amount <151.5 mg |
| 51% DV | 151.5 mg≤ amount <154.5 mg |
| 52% DV | 154.5 mg≤ amount <157.5 mg |
| 53% DV | 157.5 mg≤ amount <160.5 mg |
| 54% DV | 160.5 mg≤ amount <163.5 mg |
| 55% DV | 163.5 mg≤ amount <166.5 mg |
| 56% DV | 166.5 mg≤ amount <169.5 mg |
| 57% DV | 169.5 mg≤ amount <172.5 mg |
| 58% DV | 172.5 mg≤ amount <175.5 mg |
| 59% DV | 175.5 mg≤ amount <178.5 mg |
| 60% DV | 178.5 mg≤ amount <181.5 mg |
| 61% DV | 181.5 mg≤ amount <184.5 mg |
| 62% DV | 184.5 mg≤ amount <187.5 mg |
| 63% DV | 187.5 mg≤ amount <190.5 mg |
| 64% DV | 190.5 mg≤ amount <193.5 mg |
| 65% DV | 193.5 mg≤ amount <196.5 mg |
| 66% DV | 196.5 mg≤ amount <199.5 mg |
| 67% DV | 199.5 mg≤ amount <202.5 mg |
| 68% DV | 202.5 mg≤ amount <205.5 mg |
| 69% DV | 205.5 mg≤ amount <208.5 mg |
| 70% DV | 208.5 mg≤ amount <211.5 mg |
| 71% DV | 211.5 mg≤ amount <214.5 mg |
| 72% DV | 214.5 mg≤ amount <217.5 mg |
| 73% DV | 217.5 mg≤ amount <220.5 mg |
| 74% DV | 220.5 mg≤ amount <223.5 mg |
| 75% DV | 223.5 mg≤ amount <226.5 mg |
| 76% DV | 226.5 mg≤ amount <229.5 mg |
| 77% DV | 229.5 mg≤ amount <232.5 mg |
| 78% DV | 232.5 mg≤ amount <235.5 mg |
| 79% DV | 235.5 mg≤ amount <238.5 mg |
| 80% DV | 238.5 mg≤ amount <241.5 mg |
| 81% DV | 241.5 mg≤ amount <244.5 mg |
| 82% DV | 244.5 mg≤ amount <247.5 mg |
| 83% DV | 247.5 mg≤ amount <250.5 mg |
| 84% DV | 250.5 mg≤ amount <253.5 mg |
| 85% DV | 253.5 mg≤ amount <256.5 mg |
| 86% DV | 256.5 mg≤ amount <259.5 mg |
| 87% DV | 259.5 mg≤ amount <262.5 mg |
| 88% DV | 262.5 mg≤ amount <265.5 mg |
| 89% DV | 265.5 mg≤ amount <268.5 mg |
| 90% DV | 268.5 mg≤ amount <271.5 mg |
| 91% DV | 271.5 mg≤ amount <274.5 mg |
| 92% DV | 274.5 mg≤ amount <277.5 mg |
| 93% DV | 277.5 mg≤ amount <280.5 mg |
| 94% DV | 280.5 mg≤ amount <283.5 mg |
| 95% DV | 283.5 mg≤ amount <286.5 mg |
| 96% DV | 286.5 mg≤ amount <289.5 mg |
| 97% DV | 289.5 mg≤ amount <292.5 mg |
| 98% DV | 292.5 mg≤ amount <295.5 mg |
| 99% DV | 295.5 mg≤ amount <298.5 mg |
| 100% DV | 298.5 mg≤ amount <301.5 mg |
The rules are FDA's; the inversion is ours. Ranges are inclusive at the low end and exclusive at the high end, because an exact half rounds up.
Doing this math for a real label?
Paste in a recipe. Get the whole Nutrition Facts panel — every %DV calculated automatically, every number shows its work.
Frequently asked questions
Every figure on this page traces to a paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9. These are those paragraphs, in full.
What is the FDA Daily Value for Cholesterol?
The FDA Daily Value for Cholesterol is 300 mg for adults and children 4 years and older, per 21 CFR 101.9. On a Nutrition Facts label, a serving's %DV for cholesterol is its amount divided by 300 mg, times 100.
Is %DV calculated from the declared amount or the actual amount?
The percent shall be calculated by dividing either the amount declared on the label for each nutrient or the actual amount of each nutrient (i.e., before rounding) by the DRV for the nutrient, except that the percent for protein shall be calculated as specified in paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of this section.
How is cholesterol rounded, and when can it be declared as zero?
A statement of the cholesterol content in a serving expressed in milligrams to the nearest 5-milligram increment, except that label declaration of cholesterol information is not required for products that contain less than 2 milligrams cholesterol in a serving and make no claim about fat, fatty acids, or cholesterol content, or such products may state the cholesterol content as zero.
Where do the Daily Values for macronutrients come from?
The following DRVs, nomenclature, and units of measure are established for the following food components:
Note: The Daily Value itself is listed in the DRV table this paragraph introduces, not restated as prose.
How do I find out how much cholesterol is in a food?
A Daily Value is a reference target, not a measurement of any particular food. To find the cholesterol content of a specific ingredient or product, look it up in USDA FoodData Central, then use that amount here to see what a label would declare and what %DV it carries.
Other nutrients
Every nutrient a Nutrition Facts label can carry, with the FDA rounding rules that govern it.
Vitamins & minerals
Macronutrients
Voluntary — no Daily Value
For informational purposes only; verify against § 101.9(c)(9). · US Nutrition Label Rules v1.3.0 · CFR snapshot 2026-02-12