9 - Sodium reduction: Is the pressure still on?
Next we move to sodium reduction, which is arguably less of a 'hot trend' than a condition of doing business for many firms, and a frustrating one at that given how challenging it can be.
But where is the 'trend' going, and is the pressure to act still as strong as ever?
FDA very unlikely to set mandatory sodium reduction targets
Three years ago, it looked like things were ramping up on this front, as the Institute of Medicine (IOM) proposed radical action to cut sodium intakes, calling for the FDA to modify the GRAS status of salt and other sodium-based compounds by changing the level at which their use is considered safe, and reduce the daily value for sodium from 2,400mg to 1,500mg.
The FDA responded by inviting comments on sodium reduction strategies (click here), but has not followed up with any clear recommendations since, although data (click here) indicates that despite manufacturers’ best efforts, Americans’ sodium intakes continued to rise between 2001 and 2010 from an average of 3,298mg/day to 3,559mg/day - a 7.9% increase.
Asked in April this year whether it was considering setting mandatory sodium reduction targets, the agency told us only that it would "continue to work with industry and other stakeholders to promote gradual, achievable and sustainable reductions of sodium intake over time".
CSPI on IOM's May 2013 sodium report: "This will go down in nutrition history as a huge lost opportunity."
So is the pressure off?
From a media perspective at least, it certainly started looking like it in May 2013, after the the IOM published a report on sodium intakes which noted that the jury was still out on whether we should cut back to 1,500mg or to 2,300mg sodium a day, chiefly because there was just not enough data on the benefits of consuming such low levels to support a firm conclusion.
Media coverage of this report could be paraphrased as follows: ‘Boffins backpedal on sodium reduction, admit that eating less salt could do us more harm than good’.
The fact that the overall message of the report was in fact that excessive sodium consumption is bad for your heart, and all Americans need to cut back - a lot - was completely lost, however, complained the CSPI.
"This will go down in nutrition history as a huge lost opportunity."
In reality of course, many firms are still working hard at reducing sodium, but as the CSPI points out: If consumers are not demanding lower-sodium products (at least not en masse), and the government does not mandate them, what incentive is there for manufacturers to make the kind of across-the-board reductions needed to deliver a meaningful reduction in intakes?