News Excerpts: 

Poor dietary habits contribute to an estimated 8 million deaths globally, with 2 million attributed to excessive sodium consumption. To increase awareness about this WHO has released the second list of Sodium Benchmarks.

More about the news: 

• In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated the development of global standards, establishing maximum sodium levels in various food categories. 
• This initiative builds upon the efforts of nations and regions in setting sodium targets for different foods, aiming to lower population salt intake and combat diet- and nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). 
• The ultimate goal is to achieve the global NCD target of a 30% reduction in average salt intake by 2025, aiming for less than 5 grams of salt (< 2 grams of sodium) per day. 
• Following the United Nations Food Systems Summit in September 2021, there was a significant opportunity to expand these efforts globally, addressing unhealthy diets and enhancing the accessibility of safe and nutritious food worldwide.

Initiatives undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other stakeholders to address the issue of excessive sodium intake:

• WHO Guidelines on Sodium Intake (2012): The WHO emphasized the importance of reducing sodium intake in both adults and children in its 2012 guideline, recognizing it as crucial for preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
• Efforts and Initiatives: WHO has recognized reducing salt intake through food reformulation and setting target salt levels as a cost-effective intervention to combat unhealthy diets and prevent NCDs. This strategy has been labeled a "best buy" by WHO.
• General Programme of Work 2019–2023: WHO further emphasized the significance of salt reduction in its program, acknowledging that current efforts have been insufficient but experiences from various countries show progress is possible with clear targets.
• Collaborative Efforts with Industry: WHO collaborated with Chatham House and engaged the food and non-alcoholic beverage industry to enhance involvement in reducing sodium intake. Specific expectations were outlined for industry commitments, including reformulating foods to reduce sodium concentrations and providing sodium content labeling.
• Engagement with the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA): WHO has been actively engaged in dialogue with IFBA to improve the nutritional quality of food and beverage products. IFBA member companies committed to limiting industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) in their products worldwide by 2023, demonstrating progress in reformulation.
• Focus on Sodium Reduction: WHO highlighted sodium consumption as a significant dietary risk factor during meetings with industry representatives. The importance of global commitment to reducing sodium content and establishing benchmarks for product categories was stressed.
• Establishing Sodium Benchmarks: WHO proposed establishing sodium benchmarks as maximum limits to guide countries in formulating national policies and strategies. These benchmarks facilitate ongoing dialogue between WHO and the private sector.

About Sodium Reduction:

• Importance of Sodium Reduction: Elevated sodium intake elevates blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, the primary cause of NCD-related deaths globally. Lowering sodium intake effectively reduces blood pressure and thus diminishes the incidence of NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, it mitigates other health complications associated with high sodium intake, including chronic kidney disease, obesity, gastric cancer, and liver diseases.
• Source of Sodium: In numerous high-income countries, as well as increasingly in low- and middle-income nations, a significant portion of dietary sodium originates from processed foods like bread, cereal, grains, processed meats, and dairy products.
• Strategy: A highly effective strategy to lower overall sodium consumption within populations is to reduce the sodium content in commonly consumed foods, thereby addressing a major source of excessive sodium intake. Such reduction not only significantly aids in preventing cardiovascular diseases but also accelerates progress toward achieving various global targets for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the Sustainable Development Goals related to reducing NCD mortality.

Recommendations: 

• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends individuals consume less than 5 grams of salt (<2 grams of sodium) daily, implying that the average population intake should be substantially lower than this threshold. 

Conclusion: 

Lowering sodium intake is a highly effective strategy for alleviating the burden of cardiovascular diseases and other diet- and nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is an urgent need for accelerated progress to meet globally agreed-upon targets for reducing sodium intake and the associated NCD burden. Setting global benchmarks for sodium across various food categories presents a significant opportunity to advance progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals and the global sodium reduction target.