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GUIDANCE DOCUMENT

Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals Target Mean and Upper Bound Concentrations for Sodium in Commercially Processed, Packaged, and Prepared Foods October 2021

Final
Docket Number:
FDA-2014-D-0055
Issued by:
Guidance Issuing Office
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

This guidance is intended to provide measurable voluntary short-term (2.5-year) goals for sodium content in commercially processed, packaged, and prepared foods to reduce excess population sodium intake, while recognizing and supporting the important roles sodium plays in food technology and food safety.

Sodium is widely present in the American diet (most commonly, but not exclusively, as a result of eating or drinking foods to which sodium chloride, commonly referred to as “salt,” has been added).  More than 70 percent of total sodium intake is from sodium added during food manufacturing and commercial food preparation.  Average sodium intake in the U.S. is approximately 3,400 milligrams/day (mg/day).  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 advises individuals 14 years and older to limit their consumption to 2,300 mg/day; this aligns with recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, which set the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Intake for sodium at 2,300 mg/day for those 14 years and older.    

Download the Guidance

Food Categories and Voluntary Targets for Sodium Reduction (Appendix Table 1) (XLSX: 43KB)

Summary Explanation of the Food Categories and Voluntary Targets for Sodium Reduction (Appendix Table 1) (PDF: 686KB)


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You can submit online or written comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 10.115(g)(5))

If unable to submit comments online, please mail written comments to:

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All written comments should be identified with this document's docket number: FDA-2014-D-0055.

 
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