A Taste for Change: Sodium Reduction Challenges and Opportunities in Food Service

Recorded March 23, 2023

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.5 CPEU for completion of this recorded webinar until March 23, 2025.

Description:

Excess dietary sodium intake is an important public health issue. Despite decades of dietary guidance to reduce sodium intake, Americans over 13 years of age still consume, on average, nearly 50% more than the recommended limit of 2,300mg of sodium per day.  In October of 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals that provide short term (2.5 year) sodium reduction targets for processed, packaged and prepared foods. The guidance is intended to support reducing excess population sodium intake, with the primary objective to reduce the risk for hypertension, which is linked to increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

The FDA sodium reduction guidance specifically addresses all packaged, processed, and prepared food, including those sold in the food service sector. While much is known about sodium reduction efforts in the retail sector, less is known about the sodium reduction efforts across the food service sector, including the sodium contribution of prepared foods from restaurants, and other food service establishments to total sodium intake. This is especially important considering that in 2021, 55 percent of total food expenditures was from Foods Away From Home (FAFH) (ERS-market segments).

This webinar provides an overview of the FDA targets, unique data insights about the food service sector, highlights opportunities and challenges identified at the IAFNS Food Service Sector Dialogue held in October 2022, provides case studies of successful programs focused on sodium reduction in food service and includes a Q & A on strategies to foster progress.

Webinar program:

Trish Zecca MS, IAFNS- Moderator

Robin McKinnon PhD, Senior Advisor Nutrition Policy, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Kasey Heintz MS, Interdisciplinary Nutrition Scientist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Jennifer Roberts MS, RDN, Senior Director of Nutrition Communications, Compass Group

Pam Smith RDN, President and Founder Nutritional Consulting Services, Healthy Menus R&D Collaborative

Amy Loew MS, RD Senior Nutrition Scientist, General Mills Inc.

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

• 12.1.1 Advocates for and promotes food and nutrition programs and resources to address issues of food insecurity, nutritional health and overall health and wellness.
• 12.3.5 Takes into consideration World Health Organization and public health policies and standards to design programs, initiatives and interventions.
• 13.2.1 Adheres to and communicates relevant regulations, dietary guidelines, and organizational policies in menu development and implementation.