Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 9/15/11

Considering that almost half of the U.S. population consumes more than twice the recommended daily intake of 1,500 milligrams of sodium on average, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will publish a notice in the Sept. 15 Federal Register seeking comments regarding the dietary intake of sodium in addition to both current and emerging approaches designed to promote sodium reduction.

The agencies are hoping to better understand sodium consumption practices, challenges to reducing sodium in consumer intakes and issues associated with the development of targets for sodium reduction.
“Because over three-quarters of sodium in the diet of the U.S. population is added during manufacturing of foods and preparation of restaurant foods, reduction in sodium consumption in the United States involves reduction in the sodium content of food in the U.S. marketplace,” according to the agencies in an advance copy of the dockets.

Comments and data will be accepted for 75 days after publication in the Federal Register.

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