Growing controversy and consumer unease with high-sodium products are fuelling a pre-emptive move by some food manufacturers and restaurants to introduce lower-salt options.
Dozens of low- and reduced-sodium soups, crackers, cereals, bacon and breads have been spilling onto the market in recent years as companies look to get ahead of what is widely seen as the next major consumer health trend. Fast food companies have also started introducing new menu items made with less salt to attract health-conscious consumers.
While the industry actions show signs of promise in the battle over sodium levels, many medical experts say more urgent measures are needed to address the pressing public health crisis.
Canadians consume dangerously high levels of sodium – an average of about 3,100 milligrams a day, more than double the recommended intake – increasing their risk of developing high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, stroke and other serious health problems. But up to 80 per cent of that salt intake comes from packaged and processed foods, such as canned goods, salad dressings and bread products, which can make avoiding high-sodium foods tricky.
In Canada, federal policy-makers, industry representatives and health advocates are part of a government task force that's currently puzzling over the problem and possible ways to bring levels down and educate consumers about harmful levels.
Since the bulk of our salt is already in food when we buy it, the main issue on the table is lowering the amount of sodium in grocery-store and restaurant food. But for the food industry, the challenge is far from simple.
That's because there are no viable alternatives that can replace the flavour of salt, a snare that threatens to limit the pace of sodium-reduction efforts by the industry.
Salt is also relied upon as a preservative in many items, such as cold cuts, and there are fears that reduction could potentially compromise food safety.
“There's a realization that sodium levels have to come down in processed food products,” said Phyllis Tanaka, vice-president of scientific and regulatory affairs of food policy for Food & Consumer Products of Canada, an industry group that represents food companies.
But, she said, the industry would like to see those changes occur slowly, making sure the reduction is gradual enough that consumers don't notice.
That might not be good enough, according to Norm Campbell, the Canadian research chair in hypertension prevention and control, which is a pilot position created by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Hypertension Society, Canada's Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies and other groups to examine the sodium issue and possible solutions.
He agreed that a good sodium-reduction strategy will involve slowly reducing levels over a period of years, allowing companies time to reformulate recipes and consumers to adjust to the new taste.
But based on events he's observed in Britain, which has embarked on an aggressive national sodium-reduction campaign, the divide between what the medical community wants and what industry wants could be wider than it seems.
There, Dr. Campbell said many food companies said they would have difficulty meeting the voluntary salt-reduction targets published by the British Food Standards Agency. The Salt Association, which represents salt producers in that country, has also dismissed the new targets as “scientifically unsound,” and said that they could compromise food safety.
In Canada, where sodium is still a simmering issue and strategies haven't yet been formed, the discussion is more measured. Many industry members embrace the idea of voluntary salt-reduction goals while warning that drastic action could be detrimental to consumers and business.
“We need to be very strategic and recognize the complexity of sodium-reduction for specific products,” said Ron Reaman, vice-president of federal-government affairs at the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
Still, there are early signs of progress as more consumers flock to reduced-sodium offerings.
