Choline — FDA Daily Value

The FDA Daily Value for Choline is 550 mg for adults and children 4 or more years of age — a Reference Daily Intake (RDI), a fixed target not tied to calories. It changes by population group; see the exact numbers below.

Population group
Daily Value
Low (5% of DV)
High (20% of DV)
Adults & children 4+
550 mg
27.5 mg
110 mg
Children 1–3 years
200 mg
10 mg
40 mg
Pregnant & lactating
550 mg
27.5 mg
110 mg
Infants 0–12 months
150 mg
7.5 mg
30 mg
Example

A serving with 165 mg of choline provides 165 ÷ 550 × 100 = 30% DV (High).

Choline rounding rules

Amount

Choline is declared to the nearest 10mg — measuring finer than that changes nothing on the label.

Amount rounding rules for this nutrient, with the paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9 that sets them
Amount rangeRounding rule
≥0nearest 10mg
Source

% Daily Value

% Daily Value rounding rules for this nutrient, with the paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9 that sets them
%DV rangeRounding rule
0 to 10nearest 2%
>10 to 50nearest 5%
>50nearest 10%
Source

How much Choline is behind each %DV?

What a serving has to contain for a label to print each figure. The %DV is worked out from the actual amount, before that amount is rounded.

How much Choline a serving must contain for a label to print each %DV
If the label showsThe serving must contain
Nearest 2%0 to 10% DV
0% DV0 mg≤ amount <5.5 mg
2% DV5.5 mg≤ amount <16.5 mg
4% DV16.5 mg≤ amount <27.5 mg
6% DV27.5 mg≤ amount <38.5 mg
8% DV38.5 mg≤ amount <49.5 mg
10% DV49.5 mg≤ amount <68.75 mg
Nearest 5%>10 to 50% DV
15% DV68.75 mg≤ amount <96.25 mg
20% DV96.25 mg≤ amount <123.75 mg
25% DV123.75 mg≤ amount <151.25 mg
30% DV151.25 mg≤ amount <178.75 mg
35% DV178.75 mg≤ amount <206.25 mg
40% DV206.25 mg≤ amount <233.75 mg
45% DV233.75 mg≤ amount <261.25 mg
50% DV261.25 mg≤ amount <302.5 mg
Nearest 10%>50% DV
60% DV302.5 mg≤ amount <357.5 mg
70% DV357.5 mg≤ amount <412.5 mg
80% DV412.5 mg≤ amount <467.5 mg
90% DV467.5 mg≤ amount <522.5 mg
100% DV522.5 mg≤ amount <577.5 mg

The rules are FDA's; the inversion is ours. Ranges are inclusive at the low end and exclusive at the high end, because an exact half rounds up.

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Frequently asked questions

Every figure on this page traces to a paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9. These are those paragraphs, in full.

What is the FDA Daily Value for Choline?

The FDA Daily Value for Choline is 550 mg for adults and children 4 years and older, per 21 CFR 101.9. On a Nutrition Facts label, a serving's %DV for choline is its amount divided by 550 mg, times 100.

How are vitamin and mineral %DV values rounded?

The percentages for vitamins and minerals shall be expressed to the nearest 2-percent increment up to and including the 10-percent level, the nearest 5-percent increment above 10 percent and up to and including the 50-percent level, and the nearest 10-percent increment above the 50-percent level.

Note: Amount increments for vitamins and minerals come from FDA Guidance 2018/2019, not from CFR text.

Read on eCFR

Where do the Daily Values for vitamins and minerals come from?

The following RDIs, nomenclature, and units of measure are established for the following vitamins and minerals which are essential in human nutrition:

Note: The Daily Value itself is listed in the RDI table this paragraph introduces, not restated as prose.

Read on eCFR

How do I find out how much choline is in a food?

A Daily Value is a reference target, not a measurement of any particular food. To find the choline content of a specific ingredient or product, look it up in USDA FoodData Central, then use that amount here to see what a label would declare and what %DV it carries.

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Other nutrients

Every nutrient a Nutrition Facts label can carry, with the FDA rounding rules that govern it.

For informational purposes only; verify against § 101.9(c)(8)(iv). · US Nutrition Label Rules v1.3.0 · CFR snapshot 2026-02-12

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