Useful Links:

• FCPC statement on sodium reduction
• What other countries are doing
• Timeline for sodium reduction progress in Finland/U.K. compared to Canada (chart)
• Why sodium is used in food
• What the government is doing
• Sodium 101 (PowerPoint)
• WHO report on salt consumption per capita
• Abacus poll asks consumers if government should interfere with food choices

For many years, Canadian food and beverage manufacturers have been steadily and voluntarily reducing the amount of sodium in the food we eat by reformulating existing products and developing new ones in order to provide a variety of healthier-for-you products.

Companies want to do their part to help Canadians eat less sodium by gradually and responsibly reducing sodium levels in the food Canadians enjoy.

But it's not an easy process and product reformulation alone is not enough. To start, sodium reduction is a very complex undertaking that will require time and flexibility because sodium plays a multitude of roles in different food products. In addition to improving taste, it plays a part in preservation and in food safety.

Health Canada's proposed targets are among the most aggressive in the world, and will require further reducing sodium levels by a third by 2016.

We will only achieve success if everyone does their part. Canadians will need to be a part of the solution – living a balanced lifestyle and making more informed nutrition choices – at home, in the grocery store and at restaurants.