US health authorities on Wednesday announced a new push for the food industry to slash the salt in its products, a serious public health problem in a country where half the population suffers from hypertension.
The voluntary guidelines call for reducing average sodium consumption by about 12 percent by early 2024 -- from 3,400 to 3,000 milligrams per day.
According to the FDA, the US food safety regulator, Americans consume 50 percent more sodium than what is advised, and 95 percent of children aged two to 13 are over the recommended limit.The problem disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities and the Covid-19 pandemic has further amplified these health disparities, acting FDA chief Janet Woodcock told reporters.
The agency will monitor how the guidelines are being implemented with the long-term goal of cutting consumption to the recommended daily intake of 2,300 mg of sodium per day for people aged 14 and over.
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