Report shows Canadians Consume Too Much Sodium

• That manufacturers lower the sodium content of their products to meet voluntary targets and go beyond them over time to the lowest level possible, taking into consideration microbial food safety, quality and consumer acceptance.
• That a mechanism be established on Health Canada’s sodium website that would allow companies to commit to the Sodium Reduction Strategy.
• That the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) be amended to ensure that the serving sizes used in the Nutrition Facts Table (NFT) are as uniform as possible to facilitate the comparison of sodium levels in similar foods.
• That the FDR be amended to change the basis of the Daily Value for sodium in the NFT from 2,400 mg to 1,500 mg to reflect the Adequate Intake level.
• That the federal government, together with provincial and territorial governments where necessary, review the food additive approval process and modernize the standards of identity for foods while maintaining microbial food safety.

In addition, the SWG recommends that the voluntary approach by industry would be a structured one, and would include:

• Published sodium reduction targets for foods;
• Defined timelines;
• A mechanism for public commitment by industry to targets;
• A plan for monitoring progress by a body other than the food industry; and,
• A plan for independent evaluation of the success of the program, with the option of taking stronger measures as necessary.

To view the complete report, visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/sodium/sodium-working-travail-group-eng.php