High dietary sodium intake has been linked to elevated blood pressure, which is the leading preventable risk factor for death worldwide. High blood pressure is the major cause of cardiovascular disease and a risk factor for stroke and kidney disease. The Bureau of Nutritional Sciences at Health Canada recently published the results of a monitoring project that evaluated the progress made by the food industry between 2010 and 2017 in reducing sodium levels in 94 categories of processed foods in Canada. The presentation will will provide an overview of these results and next steps, as well as some tips on messaging that can help consumers lower their sodium intakes.
See Health Canada's evaluation of the food industry's to meet sodium reduction targets here: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/legislation-guidelines/guidance-documents/guidance-food-industry-reducing-sodium-processed-foods-progress-report-2017.html
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify links between dietary sodium intake and public health outcomes
- Understand the efforts that the food industry undertook to reduce sodium in the Canadian food supply
- Know where to access resources to help message the need to reduce sodium intakes for Canadians
- Identify opportunities to provide input on various initiatives proposed to help reduce sodium intakes and/or change the food environment in Canada