What “light in sodium” means on a food label
The words below are the regulation's own. They are quoted exactly from the United States Code of Federal Regulations.
The definition
A product for which the reference food contains more than 40 calories or more than 3 g fat per reference amount customarily consumed may use the term “light in sodium” or “lite in sodium” if it is reduced by 50 percent or more in sodium content compared to the reference food, provided that “light” or “lite” is presented in immediate proximity with “in sodium” and the entire term is presented in uniform type size, style, color, and prominence; and
A product for which the reference food contains 40 calories or less and 3 g fat or less per reference amount customarily consumed may use the term “light” or “lite” without further qualification if it is reduced by 50 percent or more in sodium content compared to the reference food; and
Plain facts about this rule
This definition compares the food with another food, called the reference food.
The same section defines “light” and “lite” for calories and fat, in paragraph (b), and gives a separate rule for meal products and main dish products, in paragraph (d). They are in the full text at the source.
Several definitions use the phrase "reference amount customarily consumed". It has its own page.
Source
- Text used:
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), Title 21, Part 101, as in force on 6 October 2026
- Checked on:
- 11 October 2026