The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will push forward its efforts to limit sodium within packaged food items.
The announcement comes after the administration’s success in meeting Phase 1’s sodium reduction targets, which was announced in October 2021. According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, Americans consume approximately 3,400 milligrams of sodium daily, well above the recommended amount of 2,300 milligrams.
According to the FDA, around 40% of processed food categories have met or are close to the 2,750 sodium target. FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones sees this result as good progress.
“Reducing sodium in the food supply has the potential to be one of the most important public health initiatives in a generation. The early successes we’re seeing with sodium level reduction in certain foods is encouraging and indicative of the impact we believe our overall nutrition approach can have on the well-being of society,” said Jones.
“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 FDA’s sodium reduction and other nutrition initiatives are central to a broader, whole-of-government approach to help reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases and advance health equity.”
This effort is a part of the White House’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to reduce diet-related diseases by 2030. Phase 2 will continue off the initial information gathered through Phase 1. Additionally, it will continue lowering sodium in processed foods sold in stores and public schools by partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s school meal sodium limits.
The over-reliance on sodium in American processed foods has led to the prevalence of certain diseases among U.S. citizens. By gradually reducing sodium intake, avoidable deaths can be prevented and U.S. residents will have an easier time combating these diseases, particularly in disenfranchised communities where processed food is more readily available than fresh produce.
