Products
Understanding Sodium |
« Back to Good For You! |
Overview
The average North American consumes the equivalent of nearly two teaspoons of salt every day, almost double the upper limit for good health. And while many would protest that they hardly touch the salt shaker, they should consider that the vast majority of that sodium is hidden inside common foods, from spaghetti sauce to frozen dinners.
Public health specialists are now pressuring food manufacturers and restaurants to cut the salt, because too much sodium raises your blood pressure -- and high blood pressure is harmful to your heart, brain and kidneys.
Reduced-sodium alternatives are somewhat rare in the food industry. A CFIA effort to reduce the sodium in some foods that salt-conscious consumers might choose (such as those labeled "healthy") began losing some momentum. But as of late, this issue is surfacing again with more focus and power.
Manufacturers argue it's hard to change the recipe but keep the taste, which is debatable, as new discoveries have shown great results. Regardless of their differences, manufacturers and health critics agree that making our food supply less salty will require consumer demand, and so far that has focused mostly on trimming the fat.
Being overweight and inactive are the major culprits for high blood pressure, but too much salt plays a big role, too. The 57 million North Americans with hypertension are advised to eat a low-sodium diet, about 1,500 milligrams a day.
For healthy people, the government recommends no more than 2,400 mg of sodium daily, the equivalent of a heaping teaspoon of salt. But the average North American eats over 4,000 mg a day – 75% of it from processed food and restaurant meals.
Salting to taste
Sodium is used in preserving certain foods, and to pump up other flavors, but taste is the leading reason people buy foods -- and low-sodium brands generally have not sold well. Food producers offer a handful of "no salt added" canned vegetables. For tomatoes, that can save 175 mg of sodium over the regular variety, and 375 mg per serving of canned green beans.
CFIA is considering giving food makers until 2009 to lower sodium levels.
Sodium (Salt) Claims
Note: The claim "very low sodium" is not permitted on foods sold in Canada.
Salted
Reference to the addition of salt to a food is not considered to be a nutrient content claim. The word "salted", or a synonymous term, used to indicate that salt has been added (either as part of the common name or as a separate claim: e.g., "extra salt", "salt water taffy", "salt cod", "salted peanuts"), does not trigger the declaration of the Nutrition Facts table for foods exempted by Section B.01.402. Similarly, the representation "light salted" can be made on fish without triggering the Nutrition Facts table on exempted foods.
In addition, a reference to a "salty taste" is considered a taste claim and does not trigger the Nutrition Facts table on foods otherwise exempted under Section B.01.401(2).
Sodium Claims on Foods that Contain Added Potassium Salts
When the sodium claims in the table below are made on the label of a food (or in an advertisement for the food placed by or on the direction of the manufacturer) that contains added potassium salts, the potassium content per serving of stated size must be declared in the Nutrition Facts table. This includes any form of potassium salts, including food additives.
Ingredients that Functionally Substitute for Salt
The "no added sodium or salt" claim outlined in item e) of the table below specifies that the food contains "no added salt, other sodium salts or ingredients that contain sodium that functionally substitute for added salt". These include ingredients which give a salty taste to foods such as hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, soy sauce, bouillon powder or cubes, soup mix, etc.
"Sodium-free" Claim on Bottled Water
Note that a claim such as "sodium-free" triggers the Nutrition Facts table on a bottled water (that might otherwise be exempted under B.01.401(2)(a), in as much as the information set out in the table to B.01.401 may be expressed as zero in the Nutrition Facts table).
Also note that a Nutrition Facts table is required when bottled water contains 5 mg or more of sodium per serving. Applicable rounding rules state that the amount of sodium must be rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 mg when the amount is 5 mg or more (and not more than 140 mg). A Nutrition Facts table is not required when the information in the Nutrition Facts table, with the exception of the serving size, may be expressed as zero, i.e., if the amount of sodium is zero or can be rounded down to zero according to the rounding rules.
Summary Table for Sodium (Salt) Claims
Note: The claims in quotation marks in column 1 are those which are permitted by the Food and Drug Regulations. The reference amounts are found in Part D, Schedule M (FDR).
Claim |
Conditions - Food |
Conditions - Label or Advertisement |
a) Free of sodium or salt "free of sodium""sodium-free" "no sodium" "0 sodium" "zero sodium" "without sodium" "contains no sodium" "free of salt" "salt-free" "no salt" "0 salt" "zero salt" "without salt" "contains no salt" |
The food contains: a) less than 5 mg of sodium per reference amount and serving of stated size; or b) less than 5 mg of sodium or salt per serving of stated size, if the food is a pre-packaged meal. |
Must comply with the general requirements for nutrient content claims |
b) Low in sodium or salt "low in sodium""low sodium" "low source of sodium" "little sodium" "contains only (number) mg of sodium per serving" "contains less than (number) mg of sodium per serving" "low salt" "low in salt" "low source of salt" "little salt" "contains only (number) mg of salt per serving" "contains less than (number) mg of salt per serving" |
The food contains: |
See conditions set out for item a) of this table. |
c) Reduced in sodium or salt "reduced in sodium""reduced sodium" "sodium-reduced" "less sodium" "lower in sodium" "reduced in salt" "reduced salt" "salt-reduced" "less salt" "lower salt" "lower in salt" |
1) The food is processed, formulated, reformulated or otherwise modified so that it contains at least 25% less sodium |
The following are identified: |
d) Lower in sodium or salt "lower in sodium""less sodium" "lower sodium" "lower in salt" "less salt" "lower salt" |
1) The food contains at least 25% less sodium |
The following are identified: |
e) No added sodium or salt |
1) The food contains no added salt, other sodium salts or ingredients that contain sodium that functionally substitute for added salt. 2) The similar reference food does not meet the conditions set out in column 2 of the subject "low in sodium or salt" set out in item b) of this table and contains added salt or other sodium salts. |
Nutrition Facts table must also include the amount of potassium per serving if the food contains added potassium salts. See conditions set out for item a) of this table. |
f) Lightly salted "lightly salted""salted lightly" |
1) The food contains at least 50% less sodium added than the sodium added to the similar reference food. 2) The similar reference food does not meet the conditions set out in column 2 of the subject "low in sodium or salt" set out in item b) of this table. |
The following are identified: |
| g) Words to the effect that: the food is "for use in a sodium-restricted diet" | The food meets the conditions set out for one of the following claims: |
Claim or statement is made in accordance with column 1 and column 3 for items a), b), c) or d) of this table See conditions set out for item a) of this table. |
| h) Words to the effect that the food is "for special dietary use" with respect to the sodium (salt) content | The food meets the condition set out for one of the following claims: |
Claim or statement is made in accordance with column 1 and column 3 for items a) or b) of this table See conditions set out for item a) of this table. |