IFT offers support on sodium reduction, calls for more research on health effects

04-May-2010 - Last updated on 05-May-2010 at 13:19 GMT

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has said it will support Food and Drug Administration (FDA) efforts to reduce sodium in foods – but called for further research into the health impacts of broad-based reduction programs.

The FDA has said it is currently reviewing the findings of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report that concluded a government-led strategy is needed to reduce sodium in processed foods, and that industry efforts have not gone far enough. IFT said “a concerted public-private collaboration” is needed to achieve FDA goals to improve consumer health.

President of IFT Marianne Gillette said: “Significant progress has been made in reformulating food products, but considerable challenges remain. Food manufacturers must balance the multiple functions of sodium in food in addition to taste. Changing the sodium content in food impacts microbiological safety, flavor balance and quality, texture, mouthfeel, preservation, color and nutritional properties of a product.”

She added that there is still no single ideal substitute for sodium chloride.

Public health outcomes

The recent IOM report, entitled Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States, said that more research is needed to ensure the safety, palatability and physical properties of foods are retained with reduced sodium. IFT said it agrees with this recommendation but added that there is also “a critical need” to assess the implications for public health of a nationwide sodium reduction strategy.

Gillette said: “Sodium reduction is only one part of the equation when it comes to improving overall health. There also continues to be a great need to focus on the quality of overall diet and lifestyle to enable consumers to achieve wellness.”

Although there is widespread agreement from public health agencies – including the World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine – that excessive consumption of sodium contributes to hypertension, there are some scientists who say there is no need to limit consumption unless you suffer from hypertension already. It is estimated that 32 percent of Americans have high blood pressure, and according to the IOM, another third of the population is at risk of high blood pressure.

UK comparison

Gillette’s comments come a week after she said the US should not do “the same silly thing” as the UK in terms of sodium reduction. Speaking at 2010 Binsted Lecture in London, England, she was referring to the UK Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) campaign to reduce salt consumption in Britain. The lecture was organized by the British section of the IFT in conjunction with the Institute of Food Science and Technology at the Society of Chemical Industry.

Gillette was quoted by our sister publication FoodManufacture.co.uk as saying: “I don’t believe the science is there [on salt] and we should be putting the arguments for something that really is a problem, like obesity.”

The FSA claims that salt consumption in the United Kingdom has already dropped significantly since voluntary targets for industry were first introduced in 2006 to reduce salt levels in 85 categories of food. In contrast to the voluntary standards in place in the UK, the IOM has recommended mandatory targets for industry in the US.

The average American consumes 3,400mg of sodium a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50 percent more than the recommended maximum of 2,300mg.