In much-anticipated draft guidance published last week, FDA outlines voluntary Phase II sodium reduction targets in 163 commercially processed, packaged and prepared food categories that would build on previous short-term reduction goals outlined by the agency in 2021, which have yet to be realized fully.
Both sets of goals target packaged, processed and prepared food because more than 70% of sodium intake in the US is from sodium added during manufacturing and commercial food preparation – not by consumers with a saltshaker in their kitchens or dinner tables, according to FDA.
If achieved, the new goals would help Americans reduce their sodium intake to about 2,750 milligrams per day, which is higher than the cap of 2,300 milligrams per day set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans older than 14 years but also about 20% lower than consumption levels prior to 2021, according to FDA.
40% of food categories reach or neared Phase I goals by April deadline
While the agency characterizes the voluntary Phase II goals as “achievable reductions” that consider food safety, consumer acceptance and align with public health goals, industry will need to take larger “steps” in some categories that have not yet met Phase I targets.
According to preliminary data shared by FDA, only about 40% of food categories reached – or are “very close” to reaching – the sodium reduction targets set in 2021 for April 2024, which were designed to cut average daily sodium intake from around 3,400 milligrams to 3,000 milligrams.
FDA’s preliminary assessment shows that most of the sodium reduction comes from packaged foods, for which 62% of the categories decreased in sodium – including 30% that dropped more than 10%.
Standout categories for sodium reduction include toddler and baby food, which saw a 100% decrease in sodium, and dairy, cereal, meat & poultry, snacks, fats/oils & dressings and salads, which all dropped by 60% or more.
Within packaged food, sodium increased within 25% of categories, with mixed ingredient dishes, fruits/vegetables & legumes and soups reporting the highest increases of 56%, 47% and 43%, respectively, according to FDA.
These categories represent some of the steepest reduction targets under Phase II. For example, the sales weighted mean of sodium in milligrams per 100 grams for frozen vegetables and legumes with sauce or seasoning is 190 milligrams per 100 grams compared to 317 milligrams per 100 grams at the 2022 baseline. (View a full list of the Phase II targets and baseline comparisons from FDA.
The agency also reported the sodium content in 13% of packaged food categories stayed the same.
Public health advocates laud FDA for moving forward with Phase II even as industry works on Phase I targets
Despite missing the deadline for the majority of food categories, FDA and public health advocates are encouraged by the sodium reduction between 2010 and 2022 – the most recent year for which data is available – and eager for industry to work towards the Phase II goals.
“It is … encouraging to see industry making progress toward the Phase I targets released in October 2021,” American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown told FoodNavigator-USA in an email statement.
Given the health risks associated with overconsumption of sodium, she said she applauds FDA for moving forward with the Phase II goals even as industry continues to work towards the Phase I targets.
“Excess sodium consumption is a longstanding public health issues, with too much sodium linked to high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke,” she explained. “If adopted, the Phase II targets will lead to measurable reductions of sodium in the food supply and help people across the United States lower their sodium intake, which can have significant health benefits and lower medical costs.”
The Center for Science in the Public Interest also acknowledged in a statement the progress and praised FDA for pushing forward with the Phase II goals, but it also criticized both industry and the agency for not reducing sodium more significantly or quickly.
CSPI President Peter Lurie characterized the sodium reduction so far as “modest,” and while he said the Phase II targets proposed by FDA “are a definite step in the right direction,” he added the agency “could have been more ambitious.”
CSPI has pushed FDA to label and limit sodium in packaged food for decades, including petition the agency in 1978 and again in 2005 to set mandatory upper limits on sodium in packaged and restaurant food.
FDA will accept public comments on the draft sodium reduction guidance through Nov. 14.
A broad effort to reduce sodium in the food system
The Phase II goals proposed by FDA complement other efforts by the agency, the US Department of Agriculture and the White House to reduce sodium and by extension diet related diseases.
The current guidance is part of the White House’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which recommends “facilitating sodium reduction in the food supply by issuing longer-term, voluntary sodium targets for industry.”
FDA notes “future phases of sodium reduction targets will be considered as part of the agency’s evaluation and monitoring of sodium reduction progress in the marketplace, as well as monitoring of sodium intake in the population.”
The agency previously supported sodium reduction efforts by proposing a rule to allow salt substitutes in foods for which salt is required or an optional ingredient under the standards of identity, and allowing manufacturers to use the term “potassium salt,” which is more consumer-friendly than “potassium chloride.”
Simultaneously, the USDA is lowering the cap on sodium levels in school meals – although not as dramatically or quickly as initially proposed. The department originally suggested schools reduce sodium 10% year-over-year beginning in the 2025-26 academic year through the 2029-30 year. But in a final rule published in April, USDA halved the sodium reduction goal and pushed back the compliance date.
