Canadians urged to cut salt in diet to reduce risk of diseases

A panel of Canadian food and health experts has recommended Canadians and Canadian food companies take immediate steps to cut the amount of salt in their food.

The 25-member Sodium Working Group, established by then health minister Tony Clement in 2007 to develop a strategy for reducing sodium intake, released its report on Thursday, including a total of 33 recommendations aimed at reducing the amount of salt in Canadians' diets.

Canadians currently ingest 3,400 mg of sodium per day on average, well above the recommended daily amount of 1,500 mg for adults. The report recommended the government set an interim target of reducing Canadians' average sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day by 2016.

To help achieve this goal, the panel, led by the Health Ministry of Canada, urged the government to work with food manufacturers and restaurants to cut the amount of salt in their products and menu items.

However, the report indicated that targets for sodium reduction should be voluntary, meaning that there's no guarantee they will be adopted by the food service industry.

Further, the report also recommended Canada's current food labels be amended to lower the maximum recommended daily amount of sodium to 1,500 mg from the current level of 2,300 mg, which is recognized as the upper limit the body can tolerate.

Alongside revamped labeling, the report also highlighted the need to further educate Canadians on the perils of high-sodium diets and encourage consumers to change their eating habits to cut down on salt.
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