Is Sodium on food labels bad for you?
Also listed as: salt, sodium per 100 g, sodium chloride
Short answer
Most adults eat too much salt. A food with more than about 600 mg sodium (1.5 g salt) per 100 g is high, and the WHO recommends under 5 g salt a day in total.
What it is
Sodium mostly comes from salt (sodium chloride). 1 g of sodium equals about 2.5 g of salt.
Where you’ll see it
Namkeen, chips, pickles, instant noodles, soups, sauces, bread, cheese and processed meats.
+ The good side
- Your body needs some sodium
- Labels let you compare products quickly
− The other side
- High intake raises blood pressure and heart and kidney risk
- Instant noodles and pickles can deliver a large share of a day’s salt in one serving
Who should pay attention
People with high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart risk, and everyone else too.
💡 What to do: Compare sodium per 100 g between brands; under 120 mg per 100 g counts as low.
Got a pack with Sodium on food labels?
Snap the label. NutriSathi shows how much it matters in that product, for your body and where you bought it. Free.
Check a product free →Related
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
Food safety regulators consider MSG safe at normal intake. Its bigger practical issue is that it usually comes in salty, processed foods.
Natural and nature-identical flavours
Flavourings are permitted and used in tiny amounts. ‘Nature-identical’ means made in a lab to match a natural flavour molecule. The bigger clue is that real fruit or spice may be only a small part of the product.
General food information, not medical advice. Exact limits and labelling rules vary by country. If you have a medical condition or allergy, follow your doctor’s or dietitian’s advice.