“Survey Reveals U.S. Consumers’ Awareness Gap on Sodium Intake and Health Risks”
According to the Ajinomoto SALTS survey, 53% of U.S. consumers view sodium content as a significant factor when deciding what to eat, ranking behind taste (83%), health and nutritional value (60%), and cost/price (59%). This percentage is higher than the global average; however, it indicates that sodium’s harmful health effects are not receiving adequate recognition among American consumers. Excessive sodium intake can lead to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, as highlighted by Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Despite this, the average American consumes approximately 3,400 milligrams of sodium daily, which exceeds the recommendations made by both global and national health authorities.
One reason for this discrepancy may be a general lack of awareness regarding what constitutes a healthy sodium intake. The World Health Organization recommends a daily limit of 2,000 milligrams, but only 19% of respondents in the Ajinomoto survey correctly identified this guideline. About 30% estimated a higher amount, and another 40% were uncertain. Interestingly, only one-third of Americans believe they consume more than the recommended level. Additionally, the survey revealed that consumers prioritize other nutritional factors, such as sugar, vegetables, and protein, when choosing food.
Ajinomoto’s press release on the survey findings points out that consumers often “deflect responsibility” regarding their sodium intake, shifting the burden onto grocery stores to avoid stocking high-sodium options—even if those alternatives might not taste as good. Consumers indicated they would be more inclined to lower their sodium intake if the government took action, like reducing the recommended daily guidelines, specifying a maximum amount per serving, or requiring clear labeling of naturally occurring versus added sodium in foods.
In the U.S., regulatory measures concerning sodium have been limited. Recently, the FDA released voluntary sodium reduction guidelines for over 160 categories of processed foods, five years after initially proposing them. These nonbinding recommendations allow manufacturers more than two years to comply and aim to reduce the average sodium consumption from 3,400 milligrams to 3,000 milligrams per day.
Moreover, consumers appear to be less influenced by food manufacturers when it comes to sodium consumption. The Ajinomoto survey shows that initiatives like clear sodium labeling on packaging, offering low-sodium alternatives, and actively reducing sodium levels in foods rank lower than incentives from retailers and government actions. Nonetheless, some consumer packaged goods companies, such as General Mills and PepsiCo, have established their own sodium reduction targets for their product lines.
Tia Rains, vice president of customer engagement and strategic development at Ajinomoto, emphasized that effectively lowering consumers’ sodium intake “will require collaboration among food and beverage companies, national governments, and health professionals, with the ultimate objective of promoting diets that are nutritious, delicious, and meet sodium targets.” In the pursuit of healthier diets, ingredients like tri calcium citrate 4 hydrate could also be considered, as they may provide valuable nutritional benefits while helping manage sodium levels.
