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How many packaged foods are "low sodium"?

183,448 of 396,217 packaged products (46%) are at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving: 140 mg or less (per 50 g as well when the serving is 30 g or less), or per 100 g for meal and main-dish products. FDA tests per reference amount, which most labeled servings follow; the count is not a finding that any label complies. In the frozen breakfast sandwiches aisle it is 0%, in bacon 0% and in frozen pizza 0%; in 16 of 68 aisles it is 90% or more.

Published · By · the rules are cited to FDA and USDA, the figures computed from USDA FoodData Central (April 30, 2026 release)

Frozen breakfast sandwiches: 0% low in sodium, the rarest of any aisle

Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%Share of products at or under FDA's "low sodium" line per labeled serving, the 12 aisles where it is rarestFrozen breakfast sandwiches0%Bacon0%Frozen pizza0%Hot dogs0%Sausage0%Deli meat0%Jerky1%Chili1%Frozen waffles1%Mac and cheese2%Canned soup2%Pasta sauce3%
The labeled serving stands in for FDA's reference amount (RACC); meals and main dishes are tested per 100 g. USDA FoodData Central branded foods.

Source: USDA FoodData Central branded foods, April 30, 2026 release; products that meet the site's data contract, one per UPC. Line: 21 CFR 101.61(b)(4)(i) and (ii); meal and main-dish products: 101.61(b)(5), defined in 101.13(l) and (m).

Every aisle

All 68 aisles with 100 or more products, rarest first
AisleLow sodiumShare
Frozen breakfast sandwiches0 of 2820%
Bacon1 of 1,0880%
Frozen pizza7 of 3,2300%
Hot dogs2 of 8670%
Sausage10 of 3,4120%
Deli meat12 of 3,6950%
Jerky14 of 1,3401%
Chili6 of 5231%
Frozen waffles7 of 5611%
Mac and cheese14 of 7632%
Canned soup16 of 8592%
Pasta sauce113 of 3,3193%
Canned chicken11 of 3014%
Veggie burgers10 of 2554%
Frozen meals250 of 4,9495%
Soup198 of 3,8445%
Ketchup27 of 5115%
Salad dressing243 of 3,9096%
Cheese927 of 13,5697%
Bbq sauce123 of 1,6907%
Bread751 of 9,0788%
Chips742 of 7,40210%
Pickles150 of 1,37511%
Muffins103 of 91611%
Crackers382 of 3,05513%
Protein shakes96 of 72713%
Hummus149 of 1,09314%
Canned tuna116 of 83814%
Instant noodles21 of 13715%
Salsa506 of 2,82818%
Popcorn504 of 2,59519%
Canned beans576 of 2,76421%
Frozen fries60 of 27022%
Snack cakes1,976 of 8,56423%
Frozen fish780 of 3,36723%
Canned vegetables915 of 3,92723%
Butter300 of 90733%
Sports drinks181 of 51135%
Almond milk153 of 39739%
Protein bars692 of 1,70841%
Cereal3,553 of 7,13250%
Noodles421 of 78054%
Nuts4,477 of 8,06356%
Cookies6,045 of 10,46458%
Pudding410 of 70158%
Granola bars574 of 82070%
Milk1,979 of 2,67974%
Peanut butter828 of 1,11574%
Pasta4,396 of 5,85875%
Oat milk97 of 12677%
Trail mix1,417 of 1,79079%
Frozen vegetables3,212 of 3,68887%
Ice cream9,962 of 10,89291%
Eggs716 of 77792%
Syrup1,417 of 1,51893%
Coffee creamer999 of 1,06694%
Chocolate7,326 of 7,79594%
Candy18,033 of 19,17394%
Rice1,374 of 1,45095%
Juice5,367 of 5,65895%
Yogurt5,091 of 5,36695%
Soda6,268 of 6,59095%
Bottled tea1,773 of 1,81997%
Cooking oil2,730 of 2,75899%
Canned fruit2,485 of 2,50899%
Jam2,644 of 2,66499%
Honey966 of 97399%
Flavored water2,896 of 2,91399%

Method and limits

Sodium per serving is the value per 100 g times the declared serving. A product meets the test with 140 mg or less per serving; when its serving is 30 g or less it must also have 140 mg or less per 50 g; a product in a frozen-dinner, entree, pizza, sandwich or meal category with a serving of 6 oz (170 g) or more stands in for FDA's meal and main-dish products and is tested per 100 g (101.61(b)(5)); FDA's full definition (10 oz and three food groups for a meal, 6 oz and two for a main dish, 101.13(l) and (m)) is not checked. The total counts each product once, in the 161 manufacturer categories with 50 or more products; an aisle can share products with another. FDA sets the threshold per reference amount customarily consumed; since the 2016 labeling rule most labeled servings follow it, but not every product's does.

Download: the table as CSV (CC BY 4.0: reuse it with a link to this page).

Sources for this page
USDA FoodData Central
the food and product records, April 30, 2026 release. fdc.nal.usda.gov
FoodData Central documentation
what each data type is and how branded records are submitted. fdc.nal.usda.gov
21 CFR 101.9, Nutrition labeling of food
the label format, rounding and Daily Values. ecfr.gov
21 CFR 101 subpart D, Nutrient content claims
the thresholds for "low sodium", "sugar free", "high in". ecfr.gov
FDA, How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
the 5% and 20% Daily Value rule. fda.gov