FDA Issues New Voluntary Sodium Guidelines

The FDA announced yesterday that they want to help people manage their salt intake. They are asking the food industry to reduce sodium levels in 163 categories of their most consumed processed, packaged and prepared foods. According to the FDA ‘the targets seek to decrease average sodium intake from approximately 3,400 milligrams to 3,000 milligrams per day which is only a 12% reduction over the next two and a half years.’ Five years ago, the agency issued guidance setting a much lower level of 2300 milligrams or 1 teaspoon of salt which is what’s currently recommended by federal nutritional guidelines and the American Heart Association. A statement from the ADA said “lowering sodium further to 2,300 mg could prevent an estimated 450,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, gain 2 million quality-adjusted life years and save approximately $40 billion in health-care costs over a 20-year period.”