Typophile

Nutrition Facts -- Can Helvetica condensed be used?

abbiedesign0 votes

I am about to update all of our food labels to the new 2018 fda guidelines. But these new rules are making it a bit more difficult to fit the nutrition facts into the space available. FDA only specifies the use of Helvetica black and regular. Does anyone know if it is okay to use a condensed version of Helvetica? I thought everything was fitting until I got down to the Vitamin info, which requires a fairly wide space, even with abbreviations.
FDA hasn't responded to my questions, so I am asking here to see if anyone has any insight.

The size of the nutrition fact area, right now, is 1.75 x 2.75.

Thank you,
Abbie

Nutrition Facts Label
Andre Simard0 votes

Looks amazing to me that FDA has rules about the font to used for Nutrition Facts. Is there rules about the size of the type? If not can you only reduce the size to fit your width of your label. On my side, I used condensed typeface when I work on this kind of info.

Hrant H Papazian0 votes

Even more amazing that it's Helveeta.

Reynir Heiðberg...1 votes

No wonder food info labels on the US goods we get look so unappealing. Faceless mook look. Accept no substitutes.

Typography.Guru0 votes

>>>the new 2018 fda guidelines

Have a link so we can check them out?

Reynir Heiðberg...0 votes

This seems to be a good link…
https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryI...
… but if I understood what is said correctly, their use of Helvetica Regular/Black is informative, not normative. Hennyways, this one hopes they do know not to exceed the RDA of Helvetica.

Andre Simard0 votes

If you would like to read about rules and suggested typeface, here in Canada they talk about “Normal width font” not about specific typeface. Here the new rules : https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/technical-documents-labe...

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