Reducing Dietary Salt Consumption
WHO issues report on the health burden of global salt intake
A World Health Organization (WHO) report has warned that without government intervention to reduce dietary salt consumption, an estimated 7 million people will die worldwide by 2030 due to cardiovascular and other diseases linked to excessive salt intake. WHO’s goal is to reduce global sodium consumption through various measures, including stricter sodium targets for food, improved labeling on food packaging and boosting public awareness of the health dangers posed by eating too much high sodium foods. More specifically, the goal is a 30% decrease in sodium consumption (from 2013 levels) by 2025.
This 12-year target was agreed to by all 194 of its member states at the time—but which nearly none is on track to meet. A Sodium Country Score from 1 (the lowest level) to 4 (the highest level) is being allocated to each WHO member state based on the level of implementation of sodium reduction policies and other measures. Last September, the American Food and Drug Association (FDA) announced that it planned to change the rules for nutrition labels on food packages to indicate that they are “healthy.” Manufacturers would be required to adhere to specific limits for sodium.
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
