FDA Issues New Voluntary Sodium Reduction Targets
On August 15, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a significant step forward in its ongoing efforts to reduce sodium intake across the U.S. population. The agency released a draft guidance with new, voluntary targets for sodium reduction in foods, marking Phase II of its sodium reduction initiative. These new targets build on the 2021 Phase I sodium reduction goals, aiming to further mitigate diet-related diseases associated with high sodium consumption.
Overview of the New Draft Guidance
The draft guidance, titled “Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals: Target Mean and Upper Bound Concentrations for Sodium in Commercially Processed, Packaged, and Prepared Foods (Edition 2),” sets out three-year sodium reduction targets for 163 food categories. These categories encompass foods that are commercially processed, packaged, or prepared in food service establishments, such as restaurants.
Key Points:
- Phase I Targets: Industry has been working toward the 2021 (Phase I) sodium reduction targets, which are expected to be met by April 2024.
- Phase II Targets: The new targets under Phase II will provide additional goals for the industry to achieve within three years after the guidance is finalized.
- Public Health Impact: The targets aim to address the excessive sodium intake in the U.S., which is currently almost 50% higher than the recommended limit.
Health Implications of Sodium Reduction
Excessive sodium intake is linked to increased blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. These conditions disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. Reducing sodium intake has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses in the coming years.
The draft targets focus on commercially processed, packaged, and prepared foods because over 70% of sodium intake in the U.S. population comes from sodium added during food manufacturing and commercial food preparation. The voluntary targets, when finalized, are expected to reduce sodium intake to about 2,750 milligrams/day (mg/day), approximately 20% lower than levels prior to the Phase I targets.
Industry Progress and Future Assessments
Preliminary data from the 2022 Sodium Reduction in the U.S. Food Supply 2010-2022: A Preliminary Assessment of Progress report shows that about 40% of food categories had already met or were close to meeting the 2021 targets. The FDA will continue to assess progress on sodium reduction relative to the targets every three years.
Public Participation and Webinar
The FDA is inviting comments on the draft guidance, which can be submitted electronically at regulations.gov. Comments should be submitted by November 14, 2024, to ensure they are considered before the final guidance is issued.
Additionally, the FDA will host a webinar for interested parties to provide an overview of the voluntary sodium reduction goals draft guidance (Edition 2) and address questions. More information on the webinar will be released soon.
Alignment with National Health Strategies
This new draft guidance is part of the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, which aims to reduce diet-related diseases by 2030. It also aligns with the Healthy People 2030 goal of reducing average sodium intake in the U.S. to approximately 2,750 mg/day.
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