Just Seven Percent Salt Reduction Over Five Years in Packaged and Restaurant Food Initiative

24 Aug 2016 --- The US packaged and restaurant food industry only managed to reduce salt by just under seven percent over a five year period, a modest decrease according to some health officials. 

The National Salt Reduction Initiative 2009 - 2014 assessed the US packaged food industry’s progress over this time when this scheme was voluntary with category-specific sodium targets with the goal of reducing salt in packaged and restaurant foods by 25 percent.

In an article published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers say that by 2014, 26 percent of packaged food categories had met 2012 targets, while only three percent met the 2014 targets. 

The overall reduction of salt totaled just 6.8 percent. 

The National Salt Reduction Initiative 2009 - 2014 is a coalition of more than 100 national health organizations and state and local health departments which was set up by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. It worked alongside industry to set targets for 2012 and 2014 for sodium reduction in categories of restaurant and packaged foods.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Americans consume on average 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, almost 50 percent more than the 2,300 mg limit recommended by federal guidelines and most children and adolescents also eat more than is recommended, ranging from 2,900 mg per day for children 6 to 10 years of age to 3,700 mg per day for teens ages 14 to 18 years.

Too much sodium can raise blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke and one in three American adults has high blood pressure, and that number increases to almost one in two for African American adults. Additionally, one in 10 children has high blood pressure.

Using the National Salt Reduction Initiative Packaged Food Database, researchers assessed target achievement and change in sales-weighted mean sodium density in top-selling products in 61 food categories in 2009, 2012 and 2014. 

“The results shows that in 2009, when the targets were established, no categories met the National Salt Reduction Initiative 2012 or 2014 targets. By 2014, 26 percent of categories met 2012 targets and three percent met 2014 targets,” says part of the abstract of the study. “From 2009 to 2014, the sales-weighted mean sodium density decline significantly in almost half of all food categories (43 percent; 26/61 categories). Overall, sales-weighted mean sodium density declined significantly (by 6.8 percent).”

The researchers conclude that national target setting with monitoring through a partnership of local, state, and national health organizations proved feasible, but industry progress was modest.