Effect of the reduction of sodium content of processed food on sodium intake in Brazil: the National Dietary Survey, 2008‐2009 (130.8)

Abstract

Brazilian government and food industry made a technical agreement to establish voluntary, gradual, and sustainable targets to reduce the sodium content of processed foods. In order to evaluate how the sodium reduction targets for processed foods will change sodium intake, day‐1 food records from 34,003 respondents (蠅10yrs) in the 2008‐2009 Brazilian National Dietary Survey were analyzed. The 2013 Brazilian sodium reduction targets were used as a benchmark to evaluate the effect of the reduction of sodium content of processed foods on mean sodium intake. Sodium reduction targets were applied to 23 food groups. Application of the proposed sodium reduction targets results in 7.2% reduction in the mean sodium intake (3190 to 2957 mg/day). This reduction was similar among all age and sex groups; however mean sodium intake still exceed the tolerable upper limit intake level of 2300 mg/day. Our findings indicate that sodium reduction targets have a small effect on sodium intake. To reduce sodium intake successfully, sodium reduction strategies are necessary to improve consumer awareness to incorporate education campaigns in order to modify eating habits.