15 U.S.C. 1451 to 1461
For US consumer packaged goods teams working out what the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act expects on the front panel. This page covers what you need to know and ways to avoid running into issues.
What we've seen reported
The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C. 1451 to 1461, has consumer packages disclose the product's identity, the maker's name and place of business, and the net quantity of contents, according to the FTC.1,3
Last updated October 2026 · General information only, not legal advice. Sources.
What the rules cover
These are the label elements the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act and the FTC's rules under it describe, according to their text, and where each is described as applying.1,2
| Requirement | Where it applies |
|---|---|
| Statement of identity | On the principal display panel: the name set by law, or else the common or usual name. |
| Manufacturer, packer or distributor | Name and place of business, with "Distributed by" or similar where someone else made it. |
| Net quantity of contents | A distinct item in the bottom 30% of the principal display panel, parallel to the base. |
| Inch/pound and metric units | Both customary and SI metric units, such as "Net Wt 15 oz (425 g)". |
| Type size for the net quantity | Minimum letter heights set by the panel area, from 1/16 inch to 1/2 inch. |
| Words that qualify the quantity | Terms such as "jumbo quart" or "when packed" kept out of the net quantity declaration. |
| Servings, uses or applications | Where a label states a number of servings, the quantity of each sits right beside it. |
| Which agency writes the rules | FDA for foods, drugs, devices and cosmetics; the FTC for other household consumer commodities. |
Where it goes wrong
One approved set of product information ends up in many channels, markets and languages. Along the way it gets shortened, translated and reworded, and some versions end up without the warnings or details these rules require.
Heldan laundry pods: 42 pods, Net Wt 37.0 oz (1.05 kg), "Distributed by" Heldan Group with address
How Arbitr helps
Manually review everything? Or do what modern teams do and use AI to check that what you publish matches what you approved.
FAQ
Wherever the pack is shown, resized or rebuilt. The FTC's rules put the identity and net quantity on the principal display panel,2 and we usually find those same details repeated, and sometimes changed, in:
Give each pack size its own approved record: the count, the inch/pound and metric figures, and the panel it sits on. Bonus and club packs are usually where one of the two units goes missing, because the artwork is rebuilt quickly. Our packaging and labels page shows how teams track this.
One record per pack saves a lot of searching later: the approved identity statement, the net quantity in both units, the name and address line, who approved it, and every pack, listing and feed that carries it. When a supplier or address changes, the record shows where the old version still sits.
How it applies to a specific label is a question for your legal adviser. Where that label appears across your markets and languages is a question Arbitr answers.
Regulatory and packaging teams usually own it, but brand, e-commerce, private-label and sales teams all publish pack details, and retailers republish them. A short briefing for each, using your own packs as examples, helps. Other rules sit alongside it, such as California Prop 65 warnings, and more are on our product labeling hub.
Each covers different products. According to the FTC, the FDA administers the Act for foods, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices, and the FTC administers it for other consumer commodities used up in the household.3
In 1992. The FTC's rules cite the amending law, Public Law 102-329 of August 3, 1992, and describe net quantity in both inch/pound and SI metric units, as in "Net Wt 15 oz (425 g)".2
Yes. Each language version is checked against the approved original and your rules for that market. Where you want a person to look, it goes to your own reviewers or to one of Arbitr's experts.
