Skip to content
NutraDetective
Two glasses of eggnog topped with nutmeg on a wooden table by a snowy window, with a cinnamon stick and pine sprigs.

Eggnog Ingredients: Four Cartons Against the Federal Recipe

Fact-checked October 2026.

Three of the four eggnogs we read list carrageenan [1, 2, 3]. The fourth, Organic Valley, lists gellan gum instead [4]. All four list milk, sugar and egg yolks [1, 2, 3, 4].

Eggnog has a federal recipe. It's called a standard of identity [5, 6]. So this post reads the eggnog ingredients on four cartons against that recipe. First the required parts, then the extras, then what "light" means.

The four are Southern Comfort Traditional, Hood Golden, Hood Light and Organic Valley Reduced Fat [1, 2, 3, 4].

What Does the Word "Eggnog" Require?

Three things: a dairy ingredient, an egg yolk ingredient and a sweetener [5]. The federal rule, 21 CFR 131.170, spells it out. The dairy part can be cream, milk, partially skimmed milk or skim milk [5].

Then come the numbers. Eggnog has at least 6% milkfat [5]. It has at least 8.25% milk solids not fat [5].

Egg yolk solids make up at least 1% of the finished food by weight [5].

What the word eggnog requires under 21 CFR 131.170: a dairy ingredient, an egg yolk ingredient with at least 1% egg yolk solids, a sweetener, and at least 6% milkfat plus 8.25% milk solids not fat.
What the federal eggnog standard requires.

It has to be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized. It may be homogenized [5]. All four cartons we read list milk, sugar and egg yolks, the three required parts [1, 2, 3, 4].

Here's the dairy-case test. Pick up any carton with that word and no "light" or "reduced fat" on it. The rule puts it simply: "The name of the food is 'eggnog'" [5]. That name promises those three parts and those numbers.

Did You Know? If an eggnog is ultra-pasteurized, the carton has to say so next to the name. The letters have to be at least half as tall as the name itself [5].

Is There Carrageenan in Eggnog?

Three of the four we read do. Southern Comfort, Hood Golden and Hood Light all list it [1, 2, 3]. Organic Valley doesn't. It lists gellan gum [4].

The standard allows this. Its optional ingredients include salt, flavoring ingredients and stabilizers, among others [5]. Carrageenan and gellan gum are both used as stabilizers [9, 10].

Here are the gums and extras on each carton [1, 2, 3, 4]:

  • Southern Comfort Traditional: guar gum, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, disodium phosphate
  • Hood Golden: guar gum, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides
  • Hood Light: guar gum, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides
  • Organic Valley Reduced Fat: gellan gum
The gums and extras on four eggnog cartons. Southern Comfort lists guar gum, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides and disodium phosphate. Hood Golden and Hood Light list guar gum, carrageenan and mono and diglycerides. Organic Valley lists gellan gum.
The gums and extras on each carton, as the listings print them.

Now each one in plain words, with its rule.

Carrageenan. The rule calls it a refined hydrocolloid, extracted with water from certain red seaweeds [9]. The rule says it "may be safely used in food" [9]. That covers use as an emulsifier, stabilizer or thickener [9]. Standardized foods that don't allow it are the exception [9].

Gellan gum. A gum made by fermentation, using a microbe called Pseudomonas elodea [10]. It's used as a stabilizer and thickener, in line with good manufacturing practice [10].

Guar gum. It comes from the seed of the guar plant [11]. The rules list it as GRAS, which means "generally recognized as safe" [11].

Mono and diglycerides. They're made from edible fats or oils [12]. They're GRAS too [12].

Disodium phosphate. Only Southern Comfort lists it [1]. The rules say it's generally recognized as safe under good manufacturing practice [13].

The sweetener line is the other place the cartons differ. Southern Comfort lists three: high fructose corn syrup, sugar and corn syrup [1]. Both Hood eggnogs list two: sugar and high fructose corn syrup [2, 3]. Organic Valley lists one, organic cane sugar [4].

The standard allows sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple sugar and molasses, among others [5]. For more on gums and the rest, see our food additives guide.

What Do "Light" and "Reduced Fat" Mean on Eggnog?

They mean the carton is allowed to go below the 6% milkfat line. A separate rule, 21 CFR 130.10, covers foods like "light eggnog" [6]. The food uses a standard name but differs because of a nutrient claim [6]. It has to meet the standard in every other way, with set exceptions [6].

"Reduced fat" means at least 25% less fat than a reference food [7]. The label has to name that food and the percent [7]. It also has to give the numbers [7]. Its example: "Fat content has been reduced from 8 g to 4 g per serving" [7].

Organic Valley's listing does this. It says "33% less fat than regular eggnog" [4]. It adds "Fat reduced from 9 g to 6 g per serving" [4].

"Light" has two branches [8]. Foods getting half or more calories from fat cut fat by 50% or more [8]. Foods under that line cut calories by a third, or fat by 50% or more [8].

The label names the reference food and the percent [8]. It gives the calories and fat in each [8].

Hood Light's listing says "made with 55% less fat than the leading eggnog" [3]. It also claims "55% less fat and 26% fewer calories than regular eggnog" [3]. Those are the company's claims, so we didn't check them against the other cartons. We don't know which one is "the leading eggnog."

Here's the fat per half cup, as each panel prints it. Southern Comfort and Hood Golden have 9 g [1, 2]. Organic Valley has 6 g, and Hood Light 4 g [4, 3].

Did You Know? Southern Comfort's listing says "Once opened consume within 14 days" [1].

How Much Sugar Is in Eggnog?

At least 20% of the Daily Value per half cup, on every carton. Here's the added sugar, low to high [1, 2, 3, 4, 14]:

  • Organic Valley Reduced Fat: 11 g, 22% of the Daily Value
  • Southern Comfort Traditional: 14 g, 28%
  • Hood Golden: 16 g, 32%
  • Hood Light: 17 g, 34%
Bar chart of added sugar per half cup. Organic Valley 11 g (22%), Southern Comfort 14 g (28%), Hood Golden 16 g (32%), Hood Light 17 g (34%), with FDA's 20% high line.
Added sugar per half cup, as a percent of the 50 g Daily Value.

The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g a day [14]. So 11 ÷ 50 is 22%, and 17 ÷ 50 is 34%. The FDA's guide says 20% or more is high [14]. All four cartons are at or above that line.

The "light" one has the most added sugar of the four [3]. Less fat didn't mean less sugar here.

A half cup is one serving. A full cup is two. For Hood Light, that's 34 g of added sugar, or 68% of the Daily Value [3, 14]. For Organic Valley, it's 22 g, or 44% [4, 14].

The rest of the panel, per half cup. Calories run from 140 for Hood Light to 190 for Southern Comfort [3, 1]. Sodium runs from 65 mg for Organic Valley to 100 mg for Hood Light [4, 3]. Protein is 4 g, except Organic Valley at 5 g [1, 2, 3, 4].

So here's your three-line carton check. One, the required parts: milk or cream, egg yolks and a sweetener. Two, the gum line: carrageenan or gellan gum. Three, the added sugar line and its percent.

We read hot cocoa mix packets and candy cane wrappers the same way. To check a carton in the dairy case, scan it with the free app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is there carrageenan in eggnog?

A. Three of the four we read do. Southern Comfort Traditional, Hood Golden and Hood Light all list it. Organic Valley Reduced Fat lists gellan gum instead. The federal eggnog standard allows stabilizers.

Q. Which eggnog has no carrageenan?

A. Of the four we read, Organic Valley Reduced Fat Egg Nog. Its only gum is gellan gum. The rest of its list is organic milk, cane sugar, cream and egg yolks. Then organic fat free milk, natural flavor and nutmeg.

Q. What is carrageenan?

A. The federal rule calls it a refined hydrocolloid, extracted with water from certain red seaweeds. The rule says it may be safely used in food. That covers use as an emulsifier, stabilizer or thickener. Three of the four eggnogs we read list it.

Q. What is gellan gum?

A. A gum made by fermentation with a microbe called Pseudomonas elodea. The rule lists it as a stabilizer and thickener. It's used in line with good manufacturing practice. Organic Valley's eggnog lists it.

Q. What does the word "eggnog" require?

A. Under 21 CFR 131.170, a dairy ingredient, an egg yolk ingredient and a sweetener. At least 6% milkfat and 8.25% milk solids not fat. Egg yolk solids of at least 1% by weight. It has to be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized.

Q. What does "light" eggnog mean?

A. "Light" is a nutrient claim with its own rule. Fat drops by 50% or more, or calories by a third, against a reference food. The label names that food and the percent. A light eggnog can have less than the standard's 6% milkfat because of the claim.

Q. How much sugar is in eggnog?

A. Of the four we read, 11 g to 17 g per half cup. That's 22% to 34% of the Daily Value. The FDA counts 20% or more as high. Hood Light has the most, at 17 g.

References

  1. Hannaford. Southern Comfort Traditional Non-Alcoholic Egg Nog, 1 quart (product listing). https://www.hannaford.com/groceries/product/southern-comfort-traditional-non-alcoholic-egg-nog-1-quart/90354
  2. Stop & Shop. Hood Golden Egg Nog, 1 quart (product listing). https://stopandshop.com/groceries/product/hood-golden-egg-nog-1-quart/220558
  3. Price Rite. Hood Light Eggnog Limited Edition, 32 fl oz, UPC 00044100106965 (product listing). https://www.priceritemarketplace.com/product/hood-ultrapasteurized-light-eggnog-limited-edition-32-fl-oz-id-00044100106965
  4. Hannaford. Organic Valley Reduced Fat Egg Nog, 32 oz carton (product listing). https://www.hannaford.com/groceries/product/organic-valley-reduced-fat-egg-nog-32-oz-ctn/350887
  5. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 131.170, Eggnog. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-131/subpart-B/section-131.170
  6. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 130.10, Requirements for foods named by use of a nutrient content claim and a standardized term. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-130/subpart-A/section-130.10
  7. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 101.62, Nutrient content claims for fat, fatty acid, and cholesterol content of foods, paragraph (b)(4). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-D/section-101.62
  8. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 101.56, Nutrient content claims for "light" or "lite," paragraph (b). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-D/section-101.56
  9. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 172.620, Carrageenan. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-G/section-172.620
  10. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 172.665, Gellan gum. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-G/section-172.665
  11. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 184.1339, Guar gum. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-184/subpart-B/section-184.1339
  12. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 184.1505, Mono- and diglycerides. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-184/subpart-B/section-184.1505
  13. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 182.6290, Disodium phosphate. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-182/subpart-G/section-182.6290
  14. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label. Content current as of March 4, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-nutrition-facts-label