How sodium is rounded on a Nutrition Facts label
The words below are the regulation's own. They are quoted exactly from the United States Code of Federal Regulations.
The definition
“Sodium”: A statement of the number of milligrams of sodium in a specified serving of food expressed as zero when the serving contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium, to the nearest 5-milligram increment when the serving contains 5 to 140 milligrams of sodium, and to the nearest 10-milligram increment when the serving contains greater than 140 milligrams.
Plain facts about this rule
So the sodium printed on a pack is a rounded figure, and a pack may print 0 mg where a serving has less than 5 mg.
On this site, sodium from a USDA record is shown in whole milligrams.
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