Sodium intake continues to be a concern for many individuals who must limit their consumption for health reasons and for the public health communities trying to promote good health. Companies are stepping up to the challenge of lowering sodium in their products, including dairy foods. Continuing reformulation work and ingredient innovation have allowed companies to make advances in lowering sodium in a variety of products.
Along with other companies debuting or expanding lower sodium products or lines, both Kraft and Nestle have made announcements over the past few months about their sodium reduction efforts.
Ingredient suppliers, like Tate & Lyle, also continue to develop salt replacers that could help lower sodium levels in dairy products.
In addition to working as individual companies,
many cheese companies are joining their efforts as part of an Innovation Center for US Dairy working group to identify challenges facing the entire cheese industry and work toward solutions that will benefit cheesemakers and cheese consumers.
One of the particular challenges for sodium reduction has been the intersection of product standards, nutrient content claims and product development. While a nutrient content claim such as “reduced sodium” would allow salt reducers to be used in standardized cheese, the 25 percent reduction in sodium required for the claim may not be possible without affecting consumer acceptance.
In the past, there have also been negative consumer attitudes toward sodium claims, thinking that these claims signaled less tasty options. However, some products have begun emphasizing sodium reductions in a positive light, with statements such as “hint of salt” or “with sea salt.”
There has been no further action regarding sodium from government agencies. New York City’s
voluntary sodium-reduction initiative continues. Following a public meeting last year, an i
nteragency group of federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, has not released any further information. The Institute of Medicine has a
new committee that is beginning work this week to examine the health effects of lowering sodium intake, focusing on research conducted in this area. IDFA will continue to monitor the activity of these groups.
Update: The IOM "Committee on the Consequences of Sodium Reduction" held its first public workshop last week and plans to release recommendations sometime next year. If you're interested in a summary of the meeting proceedings, contact me at amfoodnutrition@gmail.com.
Do you hear that your consumers are concerned about sodium? What efforts are you undertaking regarding sodium in your products?
