How to write an ingredient list for a food label
List every ingredient by its common name, heaviest first. Ingredients made of other ingredients get their own parts listed too.
Three steps
1. Weigh
Use the weight of each ingredient as it goes into the batch, not after cooking.
2. Sort
Heaviest first, lightest last. Use the common or usual name, like "sugar", not a brand.
3. Open up the mixes
If an ingredient is itself a mix, show what is in it, in parentheses, heaviest first.
Two rules that save space
Parentheses
For a mix like chocolate chips, write the name, then its parts in parentheses. Or skip the mix name and list each part in the main list.
Small amounts at the end
Ingredients at 2 percent or less by weight can go last, under a line like "Contains 2 percent or less of", in any order.
Allergens must also be named. See the Contains line guide.
What BatchFacts does
It sorts your ingredients heaviest to lightest and prints the names as a flat list. It does not add sub-ingredients in parentheses or apply the 2 percent rule, so edit those in yourself if you need them.
Get the sorted list for free
Type your recipe and weights. No account, no card.
Source: 21 CFR 101.4(a) and (b), eCFR, read Oct 21, 2026 (ecfr.gov, title 21, part 101, section 101.4). This is a summary, not legal advice. Check the current regulation.