The Percent Daily Value (% DV)

The Percent Daily Value (% DV) can help you choose foods that are healthier for you. The % DV is found on the right-hand side of the Nutrition Facts table.

What is the % Daily Value?

The % DV is a guide to help you choose healthier foods. The % DV shows you if a specific amount of food has a little or a lot of a nutrient.

  • 5% DV or less is a little
  • 15% DV or more is a lot

The % DV is not meant to track your total nutrient intake for the day. This is because some of the foods you eat (like vegetables, fruit, and fresh meat) don't have a Nutrition Facts table.

Healthy Eating and the
Nutrition Facts table

The % DV for the following nutrients must be listed on the Nutrition Facts table:

Protein does not have a % DV since most Canadians get enough of it in their diet.

Sugars do not have a % DV because there is no recommended amount of sugar for a healthy population.

Did you know?

Listing the % DV for the following nutrients is optional:

Cholesterol, folate, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, thiamine, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, and other vitamins and minerals.

How to use the % DV?

You can use the % DV to:

  • Choose products that are higher in the nutrients you want more of, and lower in the nutrients you want less of.

Here are some nutrients you may want…

Less of

  • fat
  • saturated and trans fats
  • sodium

More of

  • fibre
  • vitamin A
  • calcium
  • iron
  • Compare two different food products to make healthier food choices for you and your family.

How is the % DV calculated?

The % DV for a nutrient is calculated by dividing the amount of the nutrient contained in the serving size of a food product by its Daily Value and then multiplying that number by 100.

Example: If a food product has 3 mg of iron and the Daily Value for iron is 14 mg, the % DV for iron would be 21%.

(3 mg ÷ 14 mg) × 100 = 21% DV.

Did you know?

The % DV column on the Nutrition Facts table is not meant to add up to 100%. Each nutrient in the Nutrition Facts table has its own Daily Value.

Daily Values

The Daily Values for nutrients are based on the highest recommended intakes. They apply to most people ages 2 and over, but do not include extra nutrient needs for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

See Daily Values

Nutrient Daily Value (DV)
Fat 65 g
Saturated and trans fats 20 g
Cholesterol 300 mg
Sodium 2400 mg
Carbohydrate 300 g
Fibre 25 g
Sugars no DV
Protein no DV
Vitamin A 1000 RE
Vitamin C 60 mg
Calcium 1100 mg
Iron 14 mg

Note: RE=retinol equivalents

For more information

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