The IAFNS Sodium in Food & Health Implications (SoFHI) committee supports collaboration among academic, industry, and government scientists and focuses on the development and communication of sodium research on foods, food patterns and health implications across demographics.
The Committee has four primary areas of focus:
• Facilitate stakeholder dialogue on topics related to intake of sodium in the context of the total diet;
• Support applied clinical or epidemiological research to improve the understanding of sodium in foods and the relationship to estimates of intake;
• Understand different facets of sodium reduction in foods;
• Provide subject matter expertise to NGOs, federal agencies, and other public health stakeholders on sodium as relevant to food composition, food safety, and food quality.
Interested in learning more? The sodium committee has continuing education:
- Access CEU credits here.
General Mills, Inc.
Projects Supported by the Committee:
Publications
A Qualitative Look at Perception and Experience of Sodium Reduction Strategies in the Food Industry through Focus Groups and Individual Interviews
Journal of Food Science, 2023
Compendium of Sodium Reduction Strategies in Foods: A Scoping Review
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 2022
It has been suggested that reducing sodium in the food supply may be the most appropriate solution. The aim of this scoping review was to establish what sodium reduction strategies are effective in maintaining acceptable sensory qualities for various food industry applications.
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Moving the Needle on Hypertension: What Knowledge Is Needed?
Nutrition Today, 2019
This review highlights the gaps in knowledge and methodological challenges discussed during the Experimental Biology 2019 expert panel session titled “Moving the Needle on Hypertension: What Knowledge Is Needed?”
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Perspective: Challenges and Strategies to Reduce the Sodium Content of Foods by the Food Service Industry
Advances in Nutrition, 2023
This perspective article provides an overview of the challenges and strategies that have been used by the food service industry to reduce sodium in foods away from home, as well as future sodium reduction strategies. Because of the widespread consumption of foods away from home, implementing such future strategies could have a profound impact on the sodium content of the American diet.
Potassium Chloride-Based Replacers: Modeling Effects on Sodium and Potassium Intakes of the US population with Cross-Sectional Data from NHANES 2015–2016 and 2009–2010
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2021
Public sodium intake in the USA exceeds the recommendations of the Food and Drug Administration. The replacement of added sodium chloride (NaCl) with potassium chloride (KCl) provides a potential strategy to reduce sodium intake while remaining within the KCl range recommended for health.
Events
Reducing Sodium Intake – a Food Supply Approach
August 31, 2021
Virtual, Event
This virtual event originally aired on August 31, 2021 at 3 pm ET. This webinar has been and is approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration for 1 CEU for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.
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IFT 2021 Annual Meeting
July 18, 2021 – July 21, 2021
Virtual, Event
Sodium Reduction in Food: Where Are We Now? Extensive debate continues around the best approach for lowering population sodium intake, particularly given that public health campaigns related to labeling and education have had minimal impact. As a result, experts have more recently suggested that sodium reduction in the food supply is the only recourse. This session looks at that and other alternatives to addressing sodium intakes.
NSSRI / IAFNS Briefing
March 30, 2021
Virtual, Webinar
The National Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative (NSSRI) is a partnership of organizations and health authorities from across the US. IAFNS hosted a dialogue with NSSRI to inform members on their approach to sugar and salt targets and implementation plans.