FDA wants to further reduce salt levels in packaged, processed foods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a milestone in its voluntary sodium reduction program, meeting its Phase I goal and issuing draft guidance for Phase II. In this next phase, the FDA plans to further reduce sodium levels in packaged and processed foods by 20%, bringing average intake to about 2,750 milligrams per day.

According to U.S. dietary guidelines, a person should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, which is about one teaspoon of salt. The FDA launched its sodium reduction program in 2021, setting a 2.5-year goal. The goal of Phase I was to lower average daily sodium intake from 3,400 milligrams to 3,000 milligrams.

High sodium intake is associated with health problems such as high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Studies have shown that reducing sodium intake can prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses. However, to effectively reduce sodium intake, changes must be made to the food supply itself, since more than 70 percent of sodium comes from processed and prepared foods.

“Reducing sodium in food has the potential to be one of the most significant public health initiatives in a generation. The early successes we are seeing in reducing sodium in some foods are encouraging and indicate the impact we believe our holistic approach to nutrition can have on the well-being of society,” said Jim Jones, FDA’s deputy commissioner for human food. press release.

In Phase II, we will continue to focus on controlling sodium levels in processed, packaged and prepared foods available on the market.

“In addition to our sodium reduction efforts, FDA is also actively working on an upcoming final rule that updates the definition of a ‘robust’ claim, a proposed regulation on front-of-package nutrition labeling, and explores ways to reduce the consumption of added sugars. FDA’s sodium reduction and other nutrition initiatives are key to a broader whole-of-government approach to support reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases and promote health equity,” Jones added.

American Heart Association (I SEE) recommends limiting sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, with the ideal limit for people with high blood pressure being 1,500 milligrams. They suggest that reducing your daily sodium intake by 1,000 milligrams can significantly improve blood pressure and heart health.