Walk down the canned bean, diced tomato, stock and spice aisle, and you will see cans side by side labeled "Low Sodium", "Reduced Sodium", "Light in Sodium" and "No Salt Added".
Each of those phrases has a specific regulatory definition set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—and two of the most common claims do not guarantee that a food is low in sodium.
The six FDA package claims for salt and sodium, defined
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guide on Sodium in Your Diet, front-of-pack sodium claims fall into two groups: absolute caps (which guarantee a maximum number of milligrams of sodium per serving) and relative or processing claims (which compare the product to a regular baseline or describe whether salt was added during manufacturing).
Here are the exact FDA definitions for each claim per reference serving:
- Salt/Sodium-Free: Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving.
- Very Low Sodium: 35 mg of sodium or less per serving.
- Low Sodium: 140 mg of sodium or less per serving (which is about 6% of the 2,300 mg FDA Daily Value).
- Reduced Sodium: At least 25% less sodium per serving than the regular reference product.
- Light in Sodium or Lightly Salted: At least 50% less sodium per serving than the regular product.
- No-Salt-Added or Unsalted: No salt is added during processing—however, as the FDA explicitly warns, these products may not be salt-free or sodium-free unless stated.
Why "Reduced Sodium" soy sauce or broth can still be high in sodium
The most frequent kitchen surprise happens with "Reduced Sodium" broths, stock cubes, soy sauces, miso pastes and canned soups. Because "Reduced Sodium" only requires at least a 25% reduction compared with the original product, the final sodium number depends entirely on how salty the original product was.
If a regular vegetable broth or soy sauce starts at 900 mg to 1,000 mg of sodium per serving, a "Reduced Sodium" version that cuts sodium by 25% still contains 650 mg to 750 mg of sodium per serving—well above the 20% DV (460 mg) threshold that the FDA defines as "high in sodium" (and more than four times the 140 mg cap required for a "Low Sodium" label).
How to use sodium claims when buying canned beans, lentils and tomatoes
In home cooking, buying "No Salt Added" or "Low Sodium" canned beans, chickpeas and tomatoes gives you full control over when and how you season your dal, stew or sauce at the stove.
Use three simple checks when shopping and prepping:
- For canned beans, chickpeas and diced tomatoes, look for "No Salt Added" or "Low Sodium" (140 mg or less per serving) so you can bloom spices and salt the dish once at the end.
- When only regular canned beans or pulses in brine are available, drain the canning liquid and rinse the beans thoroughly under cool running water in a colander before adding them to the pot.
- Always verify the %DV on the back panel: remember the FDA benchmark that 5% DV or less (115 mg or less) per serving is low in sodium, while 20% DV or more (460 mg or more) per serving is high.
Sources & Classical References
- FDA: Sodium in Your Diet — Use the Nutrition Facts Label and Reduce Your Intake — Provides the official FDA table defining Salt/Sodium-Free (<5 mg), Very Low Sodium (≤35 mg), Low Sodium (≤140 mg), Reduced Sodium (≥25% less), Light in Sodium (≥50% less), and No-Salt-Added/Unsalted, plus the 5% DV low / 20% DV high guide.
- UK National Health Service (NHS): Salt in your diet — Recommends buying tinned vegetables and pulses in water instead of brine and using herbs, spices, black pepper, garlic, chili or lemon juice to flavor meals.
