Health Canada Proposes Salt Reduction Strategy

Health Canada will urge the food industry to help slash the average Canadian’s daily consumption of sodium from 3,400mg to 2,300mg by 2016.

The Sodium Reduction Strategy, to be released in July, will publish voluntary targets for ten of the highest sodium food groups, including bakery products, cereals, dairy products, processed meats, snacks, sauces and soups.

The targets will also list the maximum amount of sodium that can be included in 100g of food.

The agency will also set timelines for the food industry to meet the guidelines and will establish an outside agency to monitor progress.

The groups involved in the strategy have recommended an immediate average sodium reduction of 2,300mg a day, with a goal of hitting 1,500mg a day over the next ten years.