The Effort to Reduce Worldwide Sodium Intake
Determining how to curb excessive sodium intake among an entire population has been a challenging goal for governments and public health officials around the world.
While the topic of sodium reduction has been gaining popularity in the United States, it’s important to note that this issue has existed for several years and is a worldwide concern.(1) Determining how to curb excessive sodium intake among an entire population has been a challenging goal for governments and public health officials around the world.(1) According to a 2014 report, the populations in 181 of 187 countries studied had elevated sodium intakes.(2) Annually, 1.65 million deaths from cardiovascular causes can be attributed to sodium intake of more than 2 grams a day.(1) Due to the high sodium consumption levels around the world, in 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the global sodium target of achieving a 30% reduction in the world’s sodium intake by 2025, making this a truly worldwide effort.(1)
According to a 2015 study by Kathy Trieu, et al, over 75 countries had implemented some type of sodium reduction strategy with an additional nine countries in their planning stages.(1) The level of commitment to sodium reduction ranged anywhere from having a strategy planned to achieving some reduction in the population intake.(1)
Countries reported progress towards reduction in population sodium intake.(1)
While the adoption of sodium reduction strategies originated in higher and upper middle income countries, the effort now also includes some countries at all income levels.(1) The overall revenue spent on sodium reduction ingredients worldwide has increased from $5,972 million to $7,656 million in the last 5 years.(3) The 75 involved countries each have a varying level of financial commitment, but the overall market is clearly seeing impressive growth.
While the overarching goal in each country is to reduce the population’s sodium intake, the techniques used to work towards it are different.(1) Engaging the food processing industry to decrease the salt content in their products is a tactic used to encourage sodium reduction in 81% of the countries with reduction initiatives.(1) According to a 2006 WHO paper, “In industrialized countries, about 75% of sodium in the diet comes from manufactured foods and foods eaten away from home.”(4) This could make it challenging to reduce sodium in the general population without significant involvement from the food industry.
Used by 71 of the 75 countries with sodium reduction initiatives, the Trieu study found that consumer education is the most common tactic used by countries working to reduce sodium consumption among their populations.(1) Perhaps it’s a popular method because it allows each population to implement a campaign tailored to their culture’s needs. Places like the United States and Europe could educate their consumers, who could then in turn advocate to the food processing industry for reducing sodium in their products. Perhaps the educational approach is the most popular reduction approach in China and Japan(1) because a majority of a person’s sodium intake comes from salt added while cooking at home.(4) In these countries, it may be especially important that consumers are educated on the risks surrounding excessive sodium intake, because they are the ones holding the most control around making a change in their own diets. It appears, whatever is the main source of dietary sodium has a significant impact on which sodium reduction initiatives are taken by a country. Other initiatives used globally to encourage reduced sodium consumption include taxation on high-salt foods, required call-outs on the front of packaging, and interventions in public institutions.(1)
Despite the varied methods of sodium reduction initiatives and the different ways sodium is consumed around the world, many countries have seen progress in their public health figures. Twelve countries reported an overall decrease in their population’s sodium intake, nineteen countries saw overarching lower sodium content in their food products, and six countries increased consumer knowledge, attitudes or behaviors relating to salt.(1) While progress on the reduction of worldwide sodium consumption may seem slow moving, positive improvements are being made. Different countries have different consumption habits and varied initiatives, but it’s clear that reducing sodium intake is an international concern.
Sources:
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/Elliot-brwn-2007.pdf
- Trieu, Kathy, et al. “Salt Reduction Initiatives around the World – A Systematic Review of Progress towards the Global Target.” PLoS One. 2015; 10(7): e0130247. Published online 22 Jul 2015 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130247. Accessed on 17 Aug 2018. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4511674/
- Mozaffarian, D, et al. “Global Sodium Consumption and Death from Cardiovascular Causes.” New England Journal of Medicine 2014; 371:624-634. Doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1304127. Accessed on 17 Aug 2018. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1304127?query=featured_home
- Cargill Proprietary Research – Sodium Positioning PP
- Elliott, Paul, et al. “Sodium Intakes around the World.” World Health Organization. 2007. Accessed on 17 Aug 2018. Retrieved from
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Get the Facts: Sodium’s Role in Processed Food.” Oct 2017. Accessed on 17 Aug 2018. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/salt/pdfs/sodium_role_processed.pdf
- European Commission. EU Science Hub. “Dietary Sodium/salt.” 13 Jul 2018. Accessed on 17 Aug 2018. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/health-knowledge-gateway/promotion-prevention/nutrition/salt#_Tocch2