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Project Title:
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Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake
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PIN:
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FNBX-H-08-07-A
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Major Unit:
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Institute of Medicine
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Sub Unit:
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Food and Nutrition Board
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RSO:
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Taylor, Christine L.
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Subject/Focus Area:
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Project Scope
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The Institute of Medicine proposes to establish an ad hoc committee to review and make recommendations about various means that could be employed to reduce dietary sodium intake to levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The committee will consider a variety of options. These may include, but are not limited to, government approaches (regulatory and legislative actions), food supply approaches (new product development, food reformulation), and information/education strategies for the public and professionals. Attention will be given to opportunities for government and industry collaborations, along with input from health professionals, for the purposes of fostering innovation in this area. The committee will prepare a consensus report that (1) describes the state of actions to reduce sodium intake and factors to consider in sodium reduction strategies as learned from the committee's review and considerations, and (2) recommends actions (with rationale) for public and private stakeholders in order to achieve sodium intakes consistent with the Dietary Guidelines. The report will recommend options for long term monitoring and identify research needs.
In carrying out its work, the committee will explore the following aspects to the extent practicable:
--Dietary intake of sodium and the primary sources of sodium in the US population overall and by life stage, gender, and ethnicity.
--Functions of sodium in foods and how these functions relate to product development, consumer preferences and health, e.g., the extent to which tastes drive product development and consumption.
--Understandings about the physiology of taste and sensitivity, and their interface with consumer behavior and taste preferences.
--Potential of food technology to develop innovative alternatives to current sodium usage in processed foods, taking into account the physiology of taste as well as consumer behaviors and preferences.
--Factors that could affect sodium reduction strategies, e.g., the role of taste in product development, adaptability related to salt taste and sensitivity, age of intervention, marketing strategies that may affect sodium intake, co-variance of consumption of certain foods.
--Potential unanticipated consequences, e.g., considerations focused on iodized salt and iodine deficiency.
--Sodium reduction efforts in other countries, including cost-effectiveness of interventions.
--Policy levers such as regulation (including labeling), investment of public monies, education, incentives, support for local capacity, health professional role, industry codes of conduct, research, monitoring progress (accountability), and leadership.
--Options for public-private partnerships in the context of fostering creative and innovative approaches and programs ranging from basic and consumer research to planning for and implementing sodium reduction in diverse populations.
The project is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as its Food and Drug Administration and Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Office of Public Health and Science, Office of the Secretary).
The approximate start date for the project is September 2008.
The report is expected to be publicly released by February 2010.
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Project Duration:
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21 months
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Provide FEEDBACK on this project.
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Contact the Public Access Records Office to make an inquiry, request a list of the public access file materials, or obtain a copy of the materials found in the file.
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Tel:
202.334.2000