Which nutrient is not required to be listed as a daily value?
For US Nutrition Facts labels, total sugars and trans fat have no percent Daily Value, and protein's percent Daily Value is generally not required for products aimed at people aged four and older unless a protein claim is made. UK labels use a different system, nutrient reference values, so the answer depends on the market.
The short answer depends on where the label lives. On US Nutrition Facts labels, the FDA consumer guidance is clear that total sugars and trans fat do not get a percent Daily Value at all. Protein is the odd case: its percent Daily Value is generally not required for products intended for people aged four and older, provided no protein claim is made. It becomes required if a claim is made, or if the product is aimed at infants or children under four.
[1]A missing percentage is not the same as a missing amount. The FDA guidance asks readers to distinguish the missing percentage from the amount in grams: a nutrient can appear on the label with its weight while carrying no percent Daily Value column entry. So a blank percentage for total sugars does not mean the sugars were left off the label.
[1]Why the percentage column works the way it does
Percent Daily Value is the share of a nutrient's Daily Value present in one labelled serving. It is not a column meant to total 100 vertically, which is a common misreading. The same logic applies in the UK's parallel system: Department of Health technical guidance explains that NRV means nutrient reference value, reference amounts of vitamins and minerals for daily consumption, and a declared vitamin or mineral is expressed as a percentage of that reference amount alongside its absolute quantity. There, 100 percent denotes an amount equal to the relevant reference amount, not a running tally.
[1][2]The UK wrinkle
Do not carry the US rule across the Atlantic. UK labels work on nutrient reference values rather than Daily Values, and the US Nutrition Facts rules must not be presented as UK NRV rules or as a complete statement of Supplement Facts requirements. If you are comparing products sold in the UK, read the percentage as an NRV figure and check the current UK labelling guidance rather than assuming the American exemption list applies.
[1][2]A worked comparison
Picture two multivitamin packs side by side. One lists vitamin D at a stated strength per capsule; the other lists beta-carotene instead of vitamin A, and potassium at a different figure. A shopper might assume the missing figures mean the product is weaker, or that some nutrient was legally exempt. Neither assumption follows. Differences can come from ingredient form, stated strength, serving size or what the rules of that market require to be declared.
[3][4]Units are the other trap. The NHS vitamins and minerals guide notes that 1,000 micrograms equals 1 milligram, and that International Units convert differently depending on the vitamin. Two labels can look wildly apart purely because one uses micrograms and the other uses International Units. Align the units first, then compare.
[3]Your checklist
- Identify the market first. US Nutrition Facts and UK NRV labelling are different regimes with different declaration rules.
- Read the current official labelling guidance for that market, and note its date, before judging what is missing.
- Distinguish a missing percent Daily Value from a missing amount in grams.
- Match ingredient form, stated strength, pack size and number of servings before comparing products.
- Confirm suitability, interactions or use during pregnancy with a qualified healthcare professional rather than relying on label presence or absence.
- Use a full model code or barcode when searching, so you compare the exact product rather than a similar-looking variant.
Next step: pull up the current labelling guidance for your market, note its date, and check its declared-nutrients list against your product's label before drawing any conclusion about what is missing.
[1]Sources and dates
- https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/how-understand-and-use-nutrition-facts-label · accessed 2026-10-18
- https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/564048/Nutrition_Technical_Guidance.pdf · accessed 2026-10-18
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/ · accessed 2026-10-18
- https://supplementscomparison.com/ · accessed 2026-10-18