WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance for Phase II to help sodium reduction across the nation's food supply chains.
Before 2021, consumer intake of sodium was approximately 3,400 milligrams per day on average, far higher than the limit recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans of 2,300 milligrams per day for those 14 years and older. If finalized, the new set of voluntary targets would support reducing average individual sodium intake to about 2,750 milligrams per day. This reduction is approximately 20 percent lower than consumer intake levels prior to 2021.
The Phase II voluntary sodium reduction targets follow an initial set of targets issued in October 2021, urging the food industry to reduce sodium levels in a wide variety of processed, packaged, and prepared foods. Preliminary data from 2022 show about 40 percent of the initial Phase I targets have already been reached.
The Phase II targets will continue to focus on commercially processed, packaged, and prepared foods in the market. More than 70 percent of sodium intake in the U.S. population comes from sodium added during food manufacturing and commercial food preparation, according to FDA.
FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said, 'In addition to our sodium reduction efforts, the FDA is also actively working on a forthcoming final rule updating the definition of the claim 'healthy,' a proposed rule for front-of-package nutrition labeling and exploring ways to reduce added sugars consumption'.
The U.S. faces an ever-growing epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases. Too much sodium can raise blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Reducing sodium intake has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses in the coming years by helping to reduce risk for heart disease and stroke.
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