New York City Salt Reduction Targets Draw Praise

According to CSPI, average sodium intake is north of 4,000 mg per day. In May CSPI identified a number of popular chain restaurant meals that provide 5,000, 6,000, or 7,000 mg of sodium.

13 Jan 2010 --- The Center for Science in the Public Interest has praised New York City health officials for pressuring food companies to reduce salt levels in packaged foods and restaurant meals by 25 percent over the next five years. CSPI called New York's program "smart, sophisticated, and timely."

Too much salt in the diet is a major contributor to hypertension, stroke, heart and kidney disease, and other ailments. Starting in 1978, CSPI has been urging the Food and Drug Administration to use its regulatory authority to treat salt, or sodium chloride, as a food additive, as opposed to classifying it as an ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS. CSPI filed lawsuits against the FDA in 1982 and in 2005 to try to compel it to take action, and later in 2005 filed a regulatory petition which asked the agency to set maximum levels of salt in various categories of food. The agency held a public hearing in 2007 but hasn’t taken any action since.

"Reducing sodium levels in packaged and restaurant foods could save thousands of lives a year in New York City alone," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Food companies should cooperate with New York City authorities and set achievable targets to reduce salt nationwide. If companies don't cooperate, they can certainly expect other state and local governments, and perhaps at long last, the Food and Drug Administration, to begin regulating in this area."

Seventy percent of the population—a group that includes the elderly, African Americans, and people with existing high blood pressure—should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the federal government. Everyone else should limit themselves to 2,300 mg per day. But according to CSPI, average sodium intake is actually north of 4,000 mg per day. In May CSPI identified a number of popular chain restaurant meals that provide 5,000, 6,000, or 7,000 mg of sodium.

Reducing sodium by 25 percent over the next 5 years could also save the federal government billions in direct medical expenditures, according to CSPI.

New York City similarly helped spur nationwide changes in the food industry when it became the first jurisdiction to require calories on chain restaurant menus, and to phase out the use of artificial trans fats in all restaurants.

Campbell Soup Company responded to the New York announcement that it will continue its significant sodium reduction efforts across its portfolio to make great-tasting, healthier products for consumers. The company supports the intent of the proposal by the New York City Department of Health.

"We share a common goal to help improve the health of Americans, but our path to get there is very different," said Chor-San Khoo, Vice President of Campbell's Global Nutrition and Health. "We appreciate the opportunity to participate in meetings with New York City officials to share key lessons from our long-standing sodium reduction efforts. Their sodium reduction vision is laudable. However the targets proposed are quite aggressive and difficult to achieve, particularly in the recommended timeframes."

"Campbell's success in sodium reduction has been based on the ability to provide great-tasting products through gradual reductions over time. One of the key things we have learned from our experience is that it is critical to provide time for feedback to ensure products meet consumers' taste expectations.

"We believe any initiative must be national in scope and not a city or state-based approach. We will continue to work with New York City, federal governmental agencies and members of the food industry toward a national strategy."

Campbell has more than quadrupled its number of lower sodium products in the marketplace from 25 in 2005 to more than 110 products today. Campbell has reduced the sodium in more than 90 of its soups, including its top-selling Campbell's condensed Tomato soup; its entire lines of V8 beverages and SpaghettiOs pastas; its Prego sauces; and many of its Pepperidge Farm breads. The company also has reduced sodium in many of its products sold through Campbell's North America Foodservice division.

The UK Food Standards Agency also welcomed the publication of voluntary salt targets by the New York City Health Department, which are part of the National Salt Reduction Initiative in the US.

The US salt reduction work is voluntary and New York City has acknowledged that ‘it is modelled after a successful initiative developed in the United Kingdom’ and cites the Agency’s salt reduction successes to show how it can work.

The Agency first published voluntary salt targets in 2006 and in the UK we have seen much success, thanks to the wealth of positive action taken by all sectors of the UK food industry. As a result of the salt reduction work over the past few years, we’ve seen a drop in the average daily intake of salt from 9.5g to 8.6g per person. This reduction saves more than 6,000 lives each year and £1.5bn to the economy.

The Agency very much hopes that the US sees similar success with its initiative and we look forward to the publication of its final targets in due course, following this consultation.