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Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States
BOX 1-1
Statement of Task
The committee will 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 collaboration, 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 intake consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The report will recommend options for long-term monitoring and identify research needs.
ity, health professional role, industry codes of conduct, research, monitoring progress (accountability), and leadership; and
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.
It should be noted that the tasks assigned to this committee did not include reviewing the scientific evidence on the relationship between sodium intake and health or reevaluating dietary guidance on the levels of sodium that should be consumed. Instead, the committee relied upon conclusions from authoritative bodies to support the health benefits related to sodium reduction.
THE APPROACH
Scientific Rationale for Strategy-Setting Decisions
Consideration of the scientific basis for establishing the relationship between high sodium intake and elevated blood pressure is not within this committee’s task and was not specifically reviewed or addressed. The charge to the committee is to make recommendations about means to reduce dietary sodium intake to levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines
