Assessing the use of law on reducing sodium in the food supply

Excess sodium intake elevates blood pressure. Most of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurant foods. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day for the general population and 1,500 milligrams per day for people age 51 and older, African Americans, and those who have high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. The 1,500 mg recommendation applies to about half of the U.S. population and the majority of adults. However, average sodium intake of U.S. adults is over 3,300 milligrams per day.

States are using policy approaches to address the negative impact of sodium on health. We assessed use of law-based practices by states for the following categories: school nutrition, procurement, nutrition education, and support for voluntary sodium reduction. Where a state has passed a law, statute, regulation, and/or agency policy in one of these policy categories, the relative effectiveness of the particular policy on population health was estimated according to evidence informed parameters.

This study utilized a 50-state survey of laws to compile a matrix of statutes, regulations, and agency policies for the states and territories in the U.S. until 12/31/2011, categorized by policy impact. Further, the laws were characterized qualitatively by relative effect on population health. This characterization allows practitioners and policy-makers to identify existing laws in relation to areas of public policy and gaps in areas of action addressing sodium reduction in the food supply through the use of law.