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US Legal Cup

Also called: nutrition labeling cup, label cup, 240 mL cup

Definition: The US legal cup is the 240 milliliter cup defined for nutrition labeling by 21 CFR 101.9. It is about 1.4% larger than the 236.588 mL US customary cup.

Updated November 1, 2026 · How we check facts

The US legal cup is the cup used on US nutrition labels. US food regulation (21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii)) states that for nutrition labeling a cup means 240 mL, a tablespoon 15 mL, a teaspoon 5 mL and a fluid ounce 30 mL. It is a rounded, regulatory value, not a separate physical cup. The US cup used in recipes is 8 fluid ounces, or 236.588 mL (NIST).

Formula

ratio = 240 ÷ 236.588 = 1.0144

The label cup is 1.0144 times the customary cup.

Example

A label lists a serving as 1/2 cup (120 mL). With the customary cup, half a cup is 118.3 mL, a gap of 1.7 mL. Four label cups are 960 mL, against 946.35 mL in a US liquid quart.

See how many ml in a cup and cups to ml for values.

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Guides that explain it

Related terms

US CupThe US customary cup is a unit of volume equal to 8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons or about 236.588 milliliters; US nutrition labels round it to 240 mL.Fluid Ounce (fl oz)A fluid ounce is a unit of volume; one US fluid ounce is 29.57353 milliliters, and 8 of them make a US cup. It is not the same as the ounce used to weigh things.Milliliter (mL)The milliliter is one thousandth of a liter, or one cubic centimeter; a US fluid ounce is 29.57 mL and a US cup is 236.59 mL by NIST factors.Acre (ac)The acre is a US customary unit of area equal to exactly 43,560 square feet, 4,840 square yards or 160 square rods; NIST gives it as 4,046.8564224 square meters.Centimeter (cm)The centimeter is a metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter (0.01 m); exactly 2.54 centimeters make one inch.Gram (g)The gram is a metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a kilogram, the SI base unit of mass; about 0.03527 ounces.Hectare (ha)The hectare is a metric unit of area equal to exactly 10,000 square meters, which is about 2.471 acres; it is accepted for use with the SI.Imperial Fluid OunceThe imperial fluid ounce, used in the UK, is 28.41306 milliliters, one twentieth of an imperial pint. It is about 4% smaller than the US fluid ounce of 29.57353 mL.

Sources