By Trish Zecca, Senior Nutrition Program Manager of IAFNS
Recently, the FDA released the next round of draft targets for sodium content in processed and prepared foods. The release of the draft guidance supports FDA’s commitments as part of the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. The agency should be commended for its progress and its recognition of the role of engaging both science and stakeholders in pursuing these goals.
Sodium is overconsumed in the U.S., and incremental progress is being made, as demonstrated in the preliminary data FDA released as part of this announcement. How can stakeholders – including the food industry – work to reduce sodium even further? What resources are available? Are there emerging principles that guide the effort?
Despite costly investments in sodium reduction by the food industry over the last 50+ years, reducing dietary intake has been slow but steady. The effort is complicated by the sheer number of foods available to consumers — including restaurant foods and food away from home.
Progress is also complicated by the difficulty of reformulating certain foods while maintaining palatability. Further, adjusting sodium content has implications for food safety, as sodium is used in curing and preserving meats, cheeses and other foods.
Because of the projected health benefits of reducing sodium in the diet, there is a growing consensus that more collaboration and innovation is needed. While clear solutions are not yet in sight, some principles are emerging for changes to better address the role sodium — and related minerals like potassium — play in our food supply and their impact on public health.
Because of this complexity, IAFNS recently convened a group of experts and leading stakeholders to address these issues and identify opportunities to accelerate progress. This involved conducting a state-of-the-science review and facilitating seven educational webinars showcasing the latest science on key sodium-related topics. The webinar titles were:
• What’s New: Sodium Intake & Public Health
• What Manufacturers are Doing to Reduce Sodium
• Lessons Learned: Opportunities and Challenges to Monitoring Sodium
• Effects of Sodium Reduction on Food Safety and Quality
• Leveraging Innovation to Address Technical Challenges of Reducing Sodium
• Benefits of Potassium Substitution for Public Health
• Why is Reducing Sodium So Hard? Sensory Science, Consumer Insights & Culinary Solutions
The webinar recordings can be found here: Sodium in the Food Supply Webinar Series. Following the webinar series, IAFNS then convened experts from across sectors, disciplines, professional organizations and the nonprofit space to take a fresh look at accelerating progress.
The objective of the dialogue was to identify the additional research, technology, investment, education and collaboration necessary to further advance public health related to sodium. With thoughtful and substantive comments from experts and health advocates alike, we may look back on the March 14 Expert Dialogue as a contributing event that advanced public health efforts to reduce sodium.
The expert group included over 60 professionals from 40 different organizations including representatives from academia, industry and government. The dialogue collected diverse perspectives on research, policy and consumer education needs and opened opportunities for collaboration.
The cross-sector participation ensured that not only the best scientific questions were posed, but also identified obstacles to action that input from one sector alone may have missed. A peer-reviewed publication has been submitted for publication on the expert recommendations going forward. These recommendations will build upon some of the key principles below to support the reduction of sodium in the food supply:
• Ongoing cross-sector collaboration and action involving academic, industry and government representatives
• Continued scientific investment in sodium replacers to address taste and food safety challenges
• Further evaluation of potassium chloride replacers and clinical recommendations for use and supplementation
• Updating dietary counseling and messaging to focus on reducing sodium while increasing potassium
• Continued collaboration across disciplines and stakeholders.
These principles align with IAFNS’ core values and a recognition of what’s needed to effect advancements grounded in science. It is clear that scientists in government, industry and academia are actively working to reduce sodium in the food supply with more than 100 publications just in the last few years on salt and sodium replacement technologies.
Health Canada and FDA have reported that dietary intake of sodium is declining — just slower than we would like. Preliminary data from 2022 show about 40% of the initial FDA Phase I targets are very close to or have already been met.
Identification of new sodium reduction technologies and educating consumers on balancing sodium and potassium in the diet are promising strategies to add to the efforts already underway. Only by collaboratively working together can we accelerate these efforts.
The upcoming publication of the new expert recommendations is intended to spur future efforts guided by strong science and the principles outlined above. The publication of the recommendations will not be the culmination of the effort, but a milestone that extends forward into future work to effect change as the food industry responds to the new voluntary Phase II targets.
By tapping both technocratic and democratic processes, we will enhance our capacity to focus on positive change and build momentum towards a healthier future.
To track the ongoing sodium reduction recommendations and research efforts, visit IAFNS Sodium in Foods and Health Implications committee for resources and updates.
Trish Zecca is Senior Nutrition Program Manager of the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS), committed to leading positive change across the food and beverage ecosystem.
