ConAgra Reaches Sodium Reduction Goal Two Years Ahead of Schedule
ConAgra Foods has reached its goal of scaling back the sodium in its products by 20%, ahead of schedule by 2 years. ConAgra, which announced its sodium-lowering initiative in 2009, was one of the first major companies to announce plans to cut sodium. Dozens of the company’s brands have reduced sodium content among their product lines, including Fleischmann’s margarine (35%) and Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn (25%). – NACS
Brand Variations in Sodium
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nutrition and health policy watchdog group, recently compared the sodium content of packaged and restaurant food products from different brands. The report documented wide ranges in the sodium content of similar foods, suggesting that “many companies could lower the sodium content of their products sharply without seriously sacrificing flavor,” according to CSPI’s Executive Director Michael Jacobson. Most categories showed wide variations in sodium content among brands, and it was not uncommon for some brands to have 50%, 100%, or even more sodium than a competing brand. For example, a medium order of French fries from Burger King had almost twice as much sodium as a similar order from McDonald’s (453 vs. 231 milligrams per 100 grams), and Hunt’s Tomato Paste had more than five times as much sodium as Contadina Roma Style Tomato Paste (318 vs. 61 milligrams per 100 grams). – NutritionAction.com
Look for Less Sodium in Frozen Meals
“The biggest barrier to finding healthy frozen entrees is salt,” according to Jayne Hurley, a registered dietitian at CSPI. She writes that more popular brands of frozen meals, such as Bertolli, Marie Callender’s, and Stouffer’s, frequently contain 800 to 1,200 milligrams of sodium—a significant contribution to the 1,500-milligram daily limit that experts recommend for most adults. Hurley recommends frozen entrees that have no more than 450 milligrams of sodium, including Lean Cuisine’s Honestly Good line; half of the line’s entrees meet this recommendation, and the other half can do so if the consumer uses less of the separately pouched sauce. – NutritionAction.com