Dive Brief:
- Reports from the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the BMJ offer conflicting information and advice about sodium guidelines in food, according to Food Business News.
- CEI noted it questions daily sodium limits and maximum sodium consumption guidelines.
- BMJ argues that government strategy to reduce sodium intake could be cost effective worldwide, stating that a 10% reduction in salt over the next decade could save about 6 million life-years currently lost to cardiovascular disease each year.
Dive Insight:
In 2009, the National Salt Reduction Initiative challenged the food industry to meet a voluntary target to reduce the sodium in packaged and restaurant foods by 25% by 2014. It failed, but did see reductions of about 6.8%, which was a good start.
It’s no secret that too much salt is not good for you, with the FDA chiming in that reducing salt considerably could save hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses over the course of a decade.
But American consumers love their salt, which is why many favorite snacks have lots of sodium in them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90% of American adults eat more sodium than is recommended.
That’s why many manufacturers have gradually been reducing sodium in their foods. Change is happening—slowly. Taking away sodium too quickly or all together could kill the popularity of a product.