The FDA released draft guidance for Phase II and marks the completion of Phase I of its voluntary salt reduction targets for the food and beverage industry.
Before 2021, the average daily intake of consumers was about 3,400 mg, which was significantly more than the 2,300 milligrams per day that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggested for people 14 years of age and older.
The proposed voluntary targets, if approved, would encourage lowering the average daily intake of sodium by each individual to roughly 2,750 mg.
This decrease is about 20% less than the levels of consumer intake seen before 2021.
About 40% of the initial Phase I targets are either very close to or have already been attained, according to preliminary data collected a year later, “indicating early success of this effort,” the agency noted.
The FDA did not, however, provide information on the typical sodium intake from 2022.
“The Phase II targets will continue to focus on commercially processed, packaged, and prepared foods in the marketplace,” today’s news release said.
“This guidance is particularly relevant as more than 70% of sodium intake in the U.S. population comes from sodium added during food manufacturing and commercial food preparation.”
The Phase II voluntary sodium reduction targets also work in concert with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s school meals sodium limits, so children have access to healthy choices inside and outside of school.
As part of the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the agency is aiming to eliminate diseases connected to diet by 2030. This includes the effort to reduce sodium.
Aiming to reduce average daily sodium intake in Americans to roughly 2,750 milligrams, the Healthy People 2030 goal is in line with the FDA’s Phase II voluntary sodium reduction targets, which take into account consumer acceptability, achievable reductions in various food categories, and food safety.
The FDA will stick to its gradual reduction in sodium. When the data from 2024 become available and are examined, the government will also release a detailed evaluation of the industry’s advancement in relation to the Phase I targets.
About every three years, the FDA plans releasing assessments of the amount of sodium present in food to support its transparent, step-by-step, science-based approach.
Future stages of the sodium reduction goals will be taken into account as part of the agency’s assessment and monitoring of the industry’s success in reducing sodium intake as well as population-level sodium intake.
Why it is necessary?
Chronic diseases linked to nutrition are becoming more and more common in the United States.
Increasing blood pressure due to an excess of sodium is a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Lowering salt intake from current levels is supported by strong scientific data.
By lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, lowering sodium intake has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of illnesses and premature deaths in the years to come.
Reducing the amount of salt in food could also assist promote health equity for underprivileged areas, which include racial and ethnic minority groups and face higher rates of high blood pressure than the general population.
Date : 24 & 25 August 2024 (2 Days)
Time : 10 AM to 05 PM
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