Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
To protect consumers from misleading advertising, food safety authorities (such as FSSAI and FDA) regulate nutrition claims like "low sodium" or "sodium-free" using strict, standardized thresholds.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
According to FSSAI and international labeling standards, the thresholds for sodium claims are defined as follows:
- "Sodium Free" or "Salt Free": The food must contain less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving (or per 100 g for solids, and per 100 ml for liquids).
In grams, 5 mg is equivalent to:
\[ \frac{5}{1000} = 0.005\text{ g} \]
Therefore, a "Sodium Free" claim is only true if the product contains not more than 0.005 g of sodium per 100 g (solids) or per 100 ml (liquids).
- "Very Low Sodium": The food must contain not more than 40 mg of sodium per 100 g (0.040 g).
- "Low Sodium": The food must contain not more than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g (0.120 g).
Therefore, option (A) is the correct threshold for the "Sodium Free" claim.
Step 3: Final Answer:
A product can be claimed as "Sodium Free" if it contains not more than 0.005 g of sodium per 100 g of solids or 100 ml of liquids.