Hold the salt: Guidelines warn against high intake of sodium

The Obama administration is advising half of the U.S. population to drastically cut daily salt intake.

That’s the advice to consumers — and the food industry — as the government issues new dietary guidelines, which are the recommendations behind the popular food pyramid.

For the first time, the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments, which issue the guidelines every five years, are telling people who are 51 and older, all blacks and anyone suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease to cut the amount of sodium they eat daily to little more than half a teaspoon.

That group includes about half of the population and those who are most at risk of having higher blood pressure owing to the amount of salt they eat. For everyone else, the government continues to recommend about a teaspoon a day — 2,300 milligrams, or about one-third less than the average person usually consumes.

The assault on salt is aimed directly at the food industry, which is responsible for the majority of sodium most people consume. Most salt consumption doesn’t come from the shaker on the table; it’s hidden in foods such as breads, chicken and pasta.

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Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack ... more >

It has long been known that too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and other problems. But cutting the salt won’t be easy.

The prestigious Institute of Medicine has said it could take years for consumers to get used to the taste of a lower-salt diet. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the government is trying to be realistic while targeting the highest-risk groups.

“I think it’s important for us to do this in a way that doesn’t create an immediate backlash,” he said. “If we fail to get our arms around the obesity epidemic, especially in our children, we’re going to see a significant increase in health care costs over time.”

A number of major food makers have announced plans during the past few years to cut sodium in their products as pressure from health advocates, consumers and regulators has built.

Kraft Foods Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Heinz Co., Campbell Soup Co. and Bumble Bee Foods Inc. are just some of the companies that have committed to lowering sodium levels. But it’s often a multiyear process to dial down the sodium, largely so consumers do not detect the changes in taste.

But it’s unclear if the industry will be able to cut enough to satisfy the new guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has said it will pressure companies to take voluntary action before it moves to regulate salt intake.

Other recommendations in the guidelines are similar to previous years — limit trans fats; reduce calorie intake from solid fats and added sugars; eat fewer refined grains and more whole grains; and consume less than 300 milligrams per day of cholesterol. The guidelines also recommend eating less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats - full-fat cheese and fatty meats, for example.

The government promotes these guidelines to consumers by using a symbolic pyramid. Introduced more than five years ago, it doesn’t specify recommended amounts of foods but directs people to a USDA website that details the guidelines. That replaced an old pyramid that specified what to eat after surveys showed that few people followed it.

Mr. Vilsack said his department may come out with a new icon, but that won’t be for a few more months. For now, the government wants consumers to focus on the guidelines themselves.

He said the recommendations — coupled with efforts from industry and other government campaigns for healthy eating, such as first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative — should bring about some change in the country’s diet.

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