Food makers and restaurants were asked by the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to voluntarily reduce salt levels in 163 categories of food over a three-year period. Americans still would consume more salt than is recommended in the Dietary Guidelines, 2,750 milligrams a day vs. 2,300 milligrams, but “even modest improvements across the population could produce a large public health benefit,” said the agency.
The consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest, which sued the FDA in 2015 over its inaction on salt standards, said the Phase II targets “are a definite step in the right direction but have been more ambitious.” The FDA issued its first round of sodium targets in 2021.
More than 70 percent of the salt consumed by Americans comes from packaged and restaurant food. “The targets are intended to help address excess intake of sodium in the United States — which is currently almost 50 percent more on average than the recommended limit,” said the FDA.
Too much salt in the diet can increase blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
The FDA said 40 percent of food categories covered by its Phase I “guidance” had met or were very close to the targets for salt content.