Simulating the impact of sodium reduction from packaged foods on population sodium intake in US adults and children

Open Access

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To simulate the impact that sodium reductions in food categories that are the largest contributors to dietary sodium intake would have on population intake from packaged foods among US adults and children. DESIGN: 24hr dietary recall data were used. For each store-bought packaged food product reported by participants, we generated sales-weighted sodium content at the median and 25(th) percentile using Nutrition Facts Panel data from 193,195 products purchased by US households. The impact that sodium reductions would have on population intake, overall and by sociodemographic subgroup, was examined. SETTINGS: US households. PARTICIPANTS: 2,948 children 2-18y and 4,878 adults >18y from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). RESULTS: Sodium intake from packaged foods was 1258 (21) mg for adults and 1215 (35) mg for children. Top 10 packaged food group sources contributed 67% of sodium intake. For adults and children, there was a decrease of 8.7% (109mg) and 8.0% (97mg) respectively in sodium intake if the top 10 sources reduced sodium from the median to the 25(th) percentile. Although absolute reduction in intake varied between socio-demographic subgroups, significant differences weren't observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that if sodium reduction shifted the top 10 packaged food group sources of dietary sodium intake from the median to 25(th) percentile, that population intake would be reduced by 9% in US adults and children. These findings will help inform the US government's sodium reduction targets, as well as policymakers' understanding of differences in intake of critical sub-populations in the US.