Last verified 17 Sep 2026 · Sources
“Low sodium” means 140 mg or less of sodium per RACC (21 CFR 101.61(b)(4)(i)); “very low sodium” is a separate, stricter claim at 35 mg or less per RACC (101.61(b)(2)(i)). Neither needs a reference food, since these are absolute claims. The basis shifts depending on your package: most foods are measured per RACC alone, foods with a small RACC (30 g/2 tbsp or less) must also pass a per-50 g test, and meal or main dish products (soups, frozen entrees) are measured per 100 g instead. The trap you’re most likely to hit is applying the wrong basis to your product category, or reading “lightly salted” as if it meant “low sodium,” when it is a separate comparative claim under 21 CFR 101.56(g).
| Quick facts | Low sodium |
|---|---|
| Regulation | 21 CFR 101.61(b)(4); 21 CFR 101.61(b)(2) for very low sodium |
| Threshold | ≤140 mg/RACC (≤35 mg very low); +/50 g if RACC ≤30 g/2 tbsp; ≤140/35 mg/100 g meal/main |
| Claim type | absolute |
| Reference food needed | No |
| Disclosure statement | Not applicable |
| Wordings FDA allows | Low in sodium, Little sodium, Low source of sodium, Very low sodium, Very low in sodium |
What the rule says
Quoted verbatim from 21 CFR 101.61(b)(4)(i): “(A) The food has a reference amount customarily consumed greater than 30 grams (g) or greater than 2 tablespoons and contains 140 mg or less sodium per reference amount customarily consumed; or (B) The food has a reference amount customarily consumed of 30 g or less or 2 tablespoons or less and contains 140 mg or less sodium per reference amount customarily consumed and per 50 g.” The rule allows “low sodium,” “low in sodium,” “little sodium,” “contains a small amount of sodium,” and “low source of sodium” as the same claim.
“Very low sodium” (21 CFR 101.61(b)(2)(i)) uses the identical structure at a lower number: “(A) …and contains 35 mg or less sodium per reference amount customarily consumed; or (B) …30 g or less or 2 tablespoons or less and contains 35 mg or less sodium per reference amount customarily consumed and per 50 g.”
If your food is inherently low in sodium rather than reformulated, 21 CFR 101.13(e)(2) requires labeling that makes clear it’s a category-wide trait (“a low sodium food”) rather than implying your specific brand achieved something unusual.
On “lightly salted”: 21 CFR 101.61 defines “salt free,” “unsalted”/”no salt added”/”without added salt,” and the sodium “free,” “very low,” “low,” and “reduced” tiers. “Lightly salted” sits in a different section, 21 CFR 101.56(g): it means 50% less sodium added than is normally added to the reference food, and if your product is not “low sodium,” the statement “not a low sodium food” has to appear next to the Nutrition Facts label. “Light in sodium” or “lite in sodium,” also under 21 CFR 101.56, is a distinct comparative claim, not a synonym for “lightly salted.” The light claim page covers both.
The numbers
| Claim | Per RACC | Per 50 g (RACC ≤30 g/2 tbsp) | Meal/main dish, per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very low sodium | ≤35 mg | ≤35 mg | ≤35 mg |
| Low sodium | ≤140 mg | ≤140 mg | ≤140 mg |
The meal/main dish figures come from 21 CFR 101.61(b)(3)(i) (“The product contains 35 mg or less of sodium per 100 g of product”) and (b)(5)(i) (“The product contains 140 mg or less sodium per 100 g”). Rounding under 21 CFR 101.9(c) still applies to what’s printed on the panel, but the claim itself is checked against the unrounded analytical value on whichever basis (or bases) your RACC triggers. A small-RACC snack food has to clear both the per-RACC and per-50 g bars, not just the more forgiving of the two.
On the label
A canned soup marketed as a main dish is a common real-world case: instead of the ordinary per-RACC test, it’s checked at 140 mg or less per 100 g of product under the meal/main-dish rule (101.61(b)(5)(i)), because the RACC framework for a bowl of soup works differently from a snack food. A small-RACC item like crackers, by contrast, has to pass 140 mg or less per RACC and per 50 g if its RACC is 30 g or less. A cracker that clears the RACC number alone but scales past 140 mg once you extrapolate to 50 g does not qualify.
Mistakes we see
- Skipping the per-50 g test on a small-RACC product and checking only the per-RACC figure.
- Applying the ordinary per-RACC threshold to a soup or frozen entree that should instead use the 100 g meal/main-dish figures.
- Treating “low sodium” and “very low sodium” as interchangeable marketing language when they’re two different numbers.
- Printing “lightly salted” as if it meant “low sodium”. It is a comparative claim under 21 CFR 101.56(g), and if your product isn’t “low sodium,” the label needs “not a low sodium food” next to the panel.
- Adding a sodium claim to a label that was relying on 21 CFR 101.9(j)(4) or (j)(13)(i) to skip the Nutrition Facts panel; both exemptions require no nutrition claims on the label.
Related claims
See sodium free for the under-5-mg tier, reduced sodium for comparative claims against a reference food, low fat for the parallel structure on a different nutrient, and good source for claims that work the opposite direction. Background reading: nutrient content claims and rounding rules.
Check your label
NutriLabels’ builder checks your product’s sodium against every basis the rule names for your category (per RACC, per 50 g where it applies, and per 100 g for meal and main dish products) and tells you exactly which sodium wordings your product qualifies for.
A “Low Sodium” claim checked on the right basis for your category is one a buyer watching their salt can count on. Enter your recipe, then see your label: your calories, the claims you qualify for and your allergen line are free, no card required, and every other value and %DV stays hidden until you unlock it. $29 unlocks every other nutrient value and %DV, every FDA format your product qualifies for, and the ingredient statement and allergen declaration; or send us the recipe and we build it (done-for-you, $249, within 5 business days). Start your label or compare reduced sodium.
Low sodium claim FAQ
What's the difference between "low sodium" and "very low sodium"?
"Low sodium" allows up to 140 mg per RACC (21 CFR 101.61(b)(4)); "very low sodium" caps out at 35 mg per RACC (101.61(b)(2)). They are separate thresholds, not the same claim worded two ways.
When does the per-50 g test apply?
Only when your food's RACC is 30 g or less, or 2 tablespoons or less. In that case the food must meet the threshold per RACC *and* per 50 g, and both bases have to pass (21 CFR 101.61(b)(2)(i)(B) and (b)(4)(i)(B)).
Do soups and frozen meals use a different number?
Yes. Meal products and main dish products are tested per 100 g of product instead of per RACC. That means 140 mg or less per 100 g for "low sodium" (21 CFR 101.61(b)(5)(i)) and 35 mg or less per 100 g for "very low sodium" (101.61(b)(3)(i)).
Is "lightly salted" a defined FDA claim?
Yes, but not in 21 CFR 101.61, which covers 'salt free,' 'unsalted'/'no salt added'/'without added salt,' and the sodium 'free'/'very low'/'low'/'reduced' tiers. 'Lightly salted' is defined in 21 CFR 101.56(g): your product has 50% less sodium added than is normally added to the reference food, and if it isn't 'low sodium,' the statement 'not a low sodium food' appears next to the Nutrition Facts label. It is a different claim from 'light in sodium,' which is also in 21 CFR 101.56.
Does a low sodium claim need a reference food?
No. "Low sodium" and "very low sodium" are absolute claims. The food is measured against a fixed number, not against a competing product.
Related claims
Sodium free, Reduced sodium, Low fat, Good source of [nutrient]. See the full all label claims.