FDA Issues Draft Sodium Reduction Guidelines

On June 3, 2016, in Diet & Health, FDA, by Kourtney Determan

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week announced draft voluntary guidelines to reduce sodium levels for packaged and prepared foods. The guidelines, in the works since 2011, are aimed at food manufacturers and large chain restaurants with the goal of reducing salt consumption by a third. With target reductions set for two and 10 years, the goal is to reduce average adult sodium consumption from 3,400 milligrams a day to 2,300. The targets are divided into 150 categories for packaged and prepared foods. Each category will have different targets, with more room for reduction in some categories.

Federal officials couldn’t estimate Wednesday how much the voluntary salt regulations would cost to implement. The FDA wouldn’t say when the rules would be finalized; however officials said they are pushing to get the two-year limits done as soon as possible.

“We don’t know how much dialogue with industry will be needed on this issue,” said Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

To read the full draft guidelines, click here.