Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers are making progress in voluntarily reducing the amount of sodium in the Canadian food supply while maintaining product safety, taste, texture and stability. While there continues to be challenges in this journey, Canadians today have more lower-sodium food choices than ever.

Health Canada recently released Sodium Reduction in Processed Foods in Canada: An Evaluation of Progress toward Voluntary Targets from 2012 to 2016. The report summarizes our industry’s voluntary efforts to reduce sodium towards the established targets, which were to be met by 2016. FHCP recognizes that there is still room for improvement. The report highlights that 48% of categories did not make meaningful progress in sodium reduction; however, 14% met Phase III targets and 38% made some progress (28% met Phase I and 10% met Phase II).

A University of Toronto report measuring sodium reduction progress between 2010 and 2013 shows that six of the nine categories assessed have achieved significant sodium reduction and foods that have been reformulated have 10 to 30% less sodium. Over three quarters of the foods evaluated in the report are below the maximum level identified in the Health Canada benchmark recommendations.

2016 survey of FCPC members

• Close to 90% of FCPC members surveyed in 2016 indicate they have products that meet the Health Canada targets established in 2010.