The FDA suggests sodium intake be at about 2,300 milligrams per day, whereas the average daily sodium intake in the U.S.is 3,400 milligrams per day.
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The FDA hopes to persuade major food manufacturers and restaurant chains to reduce sodium in their products – in particular the 10 percent of packaged foods that make up more than 80 percent of all sales. That’s because 77% of the sodium Americans eat comes from foods they don’t prepare themselves, according to a study cited by the FDA. The move, which health experts say could save thousands of lives, has drawn mixed reactions from the food industry.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates reducing sodium intake by just 400mg a day could prevent 32,000 heart attacks and 20,000 strokes a year. The FDA’s goal is to lower sodium in those foods and give consumers the choice to add salt later if they want to. In some of these studies, researchers have estimated lowering USA sodium intake by about 40 percent over the next decade could save 500,000 lives and almost $100 billion in healthcare costs.
Scientific evidence shows that the more salt individuals consume, the higher their blood pressure becomes. Some companies also have come out in support.
The guidelines are voluntary, but many food companies have already taken steps to lower the amounts of sodium in their products, the FDA noted.
One in three US adults has high blood pressure, which has been linked to diets high in sodium and is a major risk factor cause of heart disease and stroke, according to the FDA.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents food and beverage companies in the United States, said it welcomed talking to the FDA over meeting the targets. The agency singled out salad dressing as an example, saying the amount of sodium ranges from 150 mg per hundred grams to more than 2,000. You can certainly find the same types of products made by other food manufacturers with similar sodium levels. In a statement, the association wrote that it would “look forward to working with the agency to ensure the best and most recent science is taken into account when determining sodium intake levels for optimal health for all Americans”.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf acknowledged on the same call that some researchers have challenged the notion that lowering sodium is good for cardiovascular health and that there may be legitimate discussions about the benefit of lowering sodium to very low levels.
Though the guidelines are not mandatory, consumer advocates said they are meaningful because they will serve as a benchmark by which companies can be measured. “And, it helps level the playing field for those companies that are already trying to use less salt in their food”, said CSPI president Michael Jacobson.
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The voluntary proposals are the Obama administration’s latest effort to push the food industry toward reducing the amount of ingredients such as sugar and some fats in an effort to improve consumer health and reduce medical costs.
