Sodium Reduction in the U.S. Food Supply

Chef and Restaurant Industry Perspectives – The U.S. food service industry is struggling to respond to increasing public health and regulatory pressure to reduce sodium in menu items. The vast majority of sodium (77 percent) in the U.S. diet comes from processed and restaurant foods. The average daily sodium intake in the U.S. exceeds 3,400 milligrams, surpassing the upper limit of 2,300 milligrams set by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report for Americans. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report recommends reducing the upper limit from 2,300 milligrams to 1,500 milligrams. Nutrition information from chain restaurants across the country shows that many menu items exceed this maximum in a single serving.