As the U.S. government considers an aggressive plan to reduce the country’s excessive sodium intake, a 2½ -year-old Canadian group charged with addressing the same issue has yet to make a single recommendation.
A major new report released yesterday by the Institute of Medicine, an independent organization that provides information to government decision-makers, says U.S. officials should make gradual but sweeping regulatory changes to cut sodium in the food supply because voluntary industry efforts aren’t working.
The report says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should alter the safety status of salt in order to set limits on how much can be added to food sold in grocery stores and restaurants. The regulatory move is necessary because the industry hasn’t adequately brought down levels on its own, the report said.
“We need [salt] but at the levels we’re taking it in right now, it’s far beyond the maximum levels that we need,” said Jane Henney
In Canada, however, voluntary industry reductions are the only option being considered by the federally appointed Sodium Working Group (SWG), leading to criticism the group won’t be able to adequately effect change. The SWG has also faced sharp words from federal politicians and health advocates for taking too long to come up with recommendations for reduction. The group was formally created in October, 2007, and members were chosen a few months later. The group originally said it would have a plan ready in April, 2009, but now says its report won’t be finished until some time this spring or summer.
By contrast, the committee that wrote the new Institute of Medicine report was created in January, 2009.
The issue of sodium intake has become a major concern in countries such as Canada, the United States and Britain, where a majority of the population consumes far too much. In Canada, for instance, the average sodium intake is about 3,100 milligrams, more than double the daily recommended amount for adults. Reports from Statistics Canada show that children as young as 1 consume far more than the “upper tolerable limit” of sodium each day – the level beyond which threat of hypertension, heart disease and stroke begins to rise.
But the solution isn’t as simple as telling people to cut back on adding salt while cooking or at the dinner table. In fact, the Statistics Canada report on sodium intake didn’t include salt added to food by the consumer. (Table salt is sodium chloride and 40 per cent of it, by weight, is sodium.)
Food manufacturers add sodium to food to enhance flavour or texture, or as a safety measure (such as to prevent bacterial contamination in deli meats). Public-health officials and advocates say the amount being added is out of control, with grocery store staples such as whole-grain bread, cereal and canned goods often containing dangerously high amounts.
While the U.S. report calls for regulatory changes to limit how much sodium can be added to food by the industry, it says the measures will take several years. In the meantime, the report says the food industry, government and other key players should work together to voluntarily reduce sodium in advance of mandatory rules coming into force.
The report isn’t binding, and the FDA issued a statement yesterday saying it will review the report to determine what action to take.
Although Canada doesn’t yet have a sodium reduction plan in place, Ron Reaman
“Frankly I think we’re well ahead of the game,” Mr. Reaman said.
But Norm Campbell
“The perception is that a regulatory approach is going to be ultimately needed to ensure industry doesn’t slide back,” Dr. Campbell said.
