NB on food packaging most commonly stands for “nota bene,” a Latin phrase meaning “note well” or simply “take note.” It’s used to flag important information the manufacturer wants you to notice, such as allergen warnings, storage instructions, or dietary details. You’ll typically see it followed by a colon and a specific message, like “NB: Contains traces of nuts” or “NB: Keep refrigerated after opening.”
NB as a Note or Warning
Nota bene has been used in written English for centuries as a way to draw attention to something important. On food labels, it serves the same purpose. Rather than being a regulated term with a fixed legal definition, NB is simply a formatting choice manufacturers use to highlight key details that might otherwise get lost in fine print.
Common examples include:
- Allergen alerts: “NB: Produced in a facility that handles peanuts.”
- Storage guidance: “NB: Best consumed within 3 days of opening.”
- Preparation notes: “NB: Not suitable for microwave heating.”
The abbreviation is more common on food products from the UK, Europe, and Commonwealth countries than on American packaging, where manufacturers tend to spell out “Note” or use bold text instead. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s labeling guide does not list NB as an officially recognized abbreviation, so American brands rarely use it.
NB as a Regional Certification Mark
If you’re shopping in Canada, NB on food packaging may refer to New Brunswick. The province runs branding programs called “Excellence NB” and “Savour NB” that identify products made locally. These logos appear on store shelves and product labels to help shoppers recognize and support New Brunswick producers. If you see a stylized NB logo rather than plain text, this is likely what it means.
How to Tell Which Meaning Applies
Context usually makes the answer obvious. If NB appears as small text followed by a colon and a sentence, it’s nota bene, flagging something the manufacturer wants you to read carefully. If it appears inside a logo or badge, often with a tagline like “Made in NB,” it’s a regional origin mark. And if you’re looking at clinical nutrition information rather than a grocery product, NB can refer to nitrogen balance, a measure healthcare providers use to assess whether someone is getting enough protein. That usage is limited to medical and dietetic contexts and won’t appear on consumer food labels.
In the vast majority of cases, NB on a food package is simply the manufacturer’s way of saying “pay attention to this.” It’s worth reading whatever follows it, since it often contains allergen or safety information that could affect how you store, prepare, or decide whether to eat the product.