Global Sodium Reduction Efforts
Lithgow, Australia is working to reduce population sodium intake by 10% through the Salt Swap initiative, a community-based initiative offering the public a chance to swap their current salt shaker for a salt substitute with 70% less sodium compared to table salt. The initiative is also working to reformulate locally produced processed foods. More information may be found here: http://www.georgeinstitute.org/media-releases/community-salt-swap-initiative-launches-in-lithgow and, here: http://www.foodmag.com.au/news/salt-swap-initiative-launched-in-lithgow.
In other global news, the Parliament of Argentina recently approved a law related to sodium reduction. The law sets baseline maximum values for salt content for food groups, and requires gradual reductions in the maximum values over time. Among other things, the law requires –
·Containers of salt display warnings related to the risks of overconsumption.
·Single serving packets of salt contain no more than 0.5 grams of salt.
·Restaurant menus include information and warnings about excessive use of salt, limit salt shakers, and offer low salt options.
The law may be found here: http://www.diputados.gov.ar/proyectos/proyecto.jsp?id=139265 (please note the law is in Spanish).
New Restaurant Nutrition Resource and Menu Labeling Study
MenuStat, a public database containing restaurant nutrition data from 66 restaurant chains, has been released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Users of the database can compare nutrition across restaurants and food categories through historical, date-stamped information. Changes in nutrition content can also be assessed over time, such as the sodium content of sandwiches in 2012 and 2013. The MenuStat database may be found here: http://www.menustat.org/.
New research supports the usefulness of restaurant nutrition information in encouraging consumers to order more healthful meals. According to a new study, “Customer Responses to Mandatory Menu Labeling at Full-Service Restaurants” customers at restaurants offering menu labeling purchased 224 mg less sodium, and those reporting that nutrition information affected their order purchased 370 mg less sodium overall. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM), collected 648 customer surveys and transaction receipts from restaurant outlets with and without menu labeling. The AJPM study may be found here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379713004947.
Cardiovascular Risk Prevention Guidelines The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Associationhave published new cardiovascular risk prevention guidelines in Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). Related to sodium, the Guideline for Lifestyle Management to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk includes sodium reduction as part of a package of lifestyle recommendations, and states that adults should consume no more than 2,400 mg sodium per day, and that a further reduction of sodium to no more than 1,500 mg per day is ideal. The recommendations are intended for primary care providers, cardiologists, and other health care providers working with patients on cardiovascular disease prevention.
More information may be found here: http://www.cardiosource.org/science-and-quality/journal-scan/2013/11/2013-aha-acc-guideline-on-lifestyle-management.aspx and, here: http://circ.ahajournals.org/lookup/doi/10.1161/01.cir.0000437740.48606.d1.
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