Ultimately, the FDA aims to lower consumers’ salt intake—commonly referred to as sodium—in order to reduce premature deaths caused by ailments like high blood pressure, a major contributor to heart disease and stroke.
On August 15, the FDA launched “phase II” of its voluntary guidelines, targeting a reduction in daily salt consumption to approximately 2,750 milligrams over the next two and a half years.
If achieved, this would represent a 20% decrease from 2021 consumption levels when the first phase was initiated. Yet, it’s important to note that even 2,750 mg/day still exceeds the recommended intake of 2,300 mg/day set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for individuals aged 14 and older.
Based on 2010 data, the FDA’s goal initiated in October 2021 sought to lower sodium consumption from 3,400 mg/day to 3,000 mg/day within a rolling 2.5-year timeline that concluded this past April.
According to the FDA, “The initial set of targets [phase I] encouraged the food industry to reduce sodium levels in a wide variety of processed, packaged, and prepared foods.”
The FDA emphasizes that the phase II targets will continue to concentrate on commercially processed, packaged, and prepared foods in the marketplace. This guidance is crucial, considering that over 70% of the sodium intake in the US comes from sodium added during food manufacturing and commercial food preparation.
Despite the rollout of phase II, the FDA acknowledged the need for additional progress on phase I, although the referenced data is two years outdated. “Preliminary data from 2022 indicate that approximately 40% of the initial Phase I targets are very close to, or have already been achieved, showcasing early success in this effort,” the FDA noted.
However, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit food watchdog, expressed a desire to see more ambitious targets set by the FDA during phase II.
Jim Jones, the deputy commissioner for human foods at the FDA, stated, “Reducing sodium in the food supply has the potential to be one of the most important public health initiatives in a generation.” He added, “The early successes we’re witnessing with sodium level reductions in certain foods are encouraging and indicative of the potential impact of our overall nutritional strategy on societal well-being.”
In evaluating the FDA’s progress in sodium reduction, CSPI shared in a statement that most sodium decreases in the US food supply seem to have occurred in packaged foods, contrasting with restaurant foods where nearly half of the food categories saw sodium increases, greater than those that experienced declines.
“Overall, CSPI believes this reflects modest advancement from the FDA’s 2010 baseline,” the watchdog stated. Dr. Peter Lurie, president of CSPI, further remarked, “The targets proposed today by the FDA are a definite step in the right direction, but could be more ambitious.”
“However, true success relies on a comprehensive strategy involving outreach to the industry, particularly the restaurant sector, as well as diligent monitoring and public reporting on the progress of food companies and restaurants,” he added.
Furthermore, Jones indicated that the FDA is striving to finalize updates on rules related to the definition of ‘healthy’ for food products and the guidelines for front-of-pack labeling. Additionally, the agency is “exploring methods to reduce added sugars consumption.”
These sodium reduction initiatives are integral to the government’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which aims to combat diet-related diseases by 2030.
The Consumer Brands Association, representing US food and beverages manufacturers, said that it is currently reviewing the FDA’s next steps and engaging with its members to discuss future actions.
