Sodium Reduction in Processed Foods in Canada: An Evaluation of Progress toward Voluntary Targets from 2012 to 2016

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Organization: Health Canada

Type: Report

Published: 2018-01-15

Table of Contents

Executive Summary: Sodium Reduction in Processed Foods in Canada

What is the issue?

Excess sodium (salt) in the diet causes high blood pressure, an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death in Canada, after cancer.

Canadians of all ages consume too much sodium. A major source of sodium in the diet is processed food. A cost-effective way to lower sodium intake is to reduce the amount of sodium in processed foods.

What is Health Canada doing?

Quick Facts

  • 25% of Canadians live with high blood pressure
  • 80% of Canadians consume too much sodium
  • 93% of kids aged 4 to 8 years consume too much sodium
  • 77% of sodium in Canadians' diet comes from processed food

In 2012, Health Canada published voluntary targets for reducing sodium in processed food by the end of 2016. The targets were developed through consultation with the food industry, health sector and research experts. The targets were designed to encourage gradual reductions, while still maintaining food safety, quality, and consumer acceptance.

In 2017, Health Canada evaluated the food industry's efforts to meet the sodium reduction targets. Figure 1 summarizes the results of this evaluation. Only 14% of food categories met the targeted reduction. In total, 48% did not make any meaningful progress toward sodium reduction; in fact, among the 48%, the sodium levels in several categories increased. In terms of the saltiest products on the market, only 30% lowered sodium content to levels similar to other foods in the same category.

Figure 1. Results of 2017 Evaluation of Sodium Reduction in Processed Foods

Figure 1. Results of 2017 Evaluation of Sodium Reduction in Processed Foods. Text description follows.
Figure 1. Results of 2017 Evaluation of Sodium Reduction in Processed Foods - Text Description

The figure shows the percentage of food categories that met the phase I, phase II and phase III sodium reduction targets:

  • 48% of food categories did not make progress
  • 28% of food categories met the Phase I targets
  • 10% of food categories met the Phase II targets
  • 14% of food categories met the Phase III target

What do these results mean?

The reduction of sodium in processed foods was much lower than anticipated. For most food categories, manufacturers did not do enough to reduce the sodium levels in the foods that they sell to Canadians.

What more can be done?

Stronger efforts are needed to achieve sodium reduction in Canada. Further actions could include an ongoing monitoring program and public commitments by manufacturers to reduce sodium. The Healthy Eating Strategy includes robust sodium reduction initiatives, such as front-of-package nutrition labelling and restrictions on marketing to children. Together, these actions will encourage the changes needed to address the high rates of chronic disease in Canada.

Background

Sodium and health

Approximately 25% of Canadians aged 20 years and older have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.Footnote 1 Many Canadians have high blood pressure without realizing it. It develops slowly over time and has no obvious symptoms. It cannot be cured, but it can be controlled with lifestyle changes like consuming a lower sodium diet, and if needed, medication. High blood pressure is an important risk factor for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. These diseases are the second and third leading causes of death in Canada, accounting for 25% of all deaths.Footnote 2

Excess sodium intake is strongly linked to high blood pressure.Footnote 3 Member states of the World Health Organization, including Canada, have agreed to work towards reducing global sodium intakes by 2025.Footnote 4 The World Health Organization has identified reducing sodium intake as one of the most cost-effective measures that countries can take to reduce chronic disease.

Canadians' sodium intake

Nutrient recommendations are established by Canadian and American scientists through a review process overseen by the U.S. National Academies of Science. The sodium recommendation for good health is 1500 milligrams per day.Footnote 3 In healthy populations, negative health effects increase at 2300 milligrams.

About 80% of Canadians consume more than 2300 milligrams of sodium each day.Footnote 5 The rates of high sodium intakes for children and youth are even higher. Among kids aged 4 to 8 years, the rate of excess intake is 93% and among teenaged boys, it is 97%. In fact, the average sodium intake of Canadians is 3400 mg of sodium per day.Footnote 6

Over the years, Canadian's food purchases have shifted from staple foods, used to prepare meals at home, to ready-to-eat processed foods.Footnote 7 In Canada, processed food is the main contributor to excess intake, accounting for 77% of dietary sodium.Footnote 6

Sodium reduction in Canada

"The Working Group recommends that Health Canada continue to work with the food industry to establish voluntary sodium reduction targets for food categories"

Sodium Working Group
Recommendation 1-1

In 2007, the Minister of Health established a Sodium Working Group to develop a strategy for reducing sodium intake in Canada. In 2010, the Working Group published their recommendations for sodium reduction.Footnote 6 The strategy included recommendations directed at various levels of government, non-governmental organizations, consumers, the food industry, and other relevant stakeholders. The recommendations focused on four areas:

  1. sodium levels in the food supply;
  2. education and awareness of consumers, industry, health professionals and others;
  3. research related to sodium reduction; and
  4. monitoring and evaluation.

Health Canada's actions to date

Education and awareness

Since 2010, Health Canada has taken several actions to help reduce Canadians' sodium intake. In the area of education and awareness, Health Canada partnered with the food industry to develop the Nutrition Facts Education Campaign. The purpose of this campaign was to help consumers make more informed food choices using the Nutrition Facts table.

As a part of the Eat Well Campaign, Health Canada included messages to help Canadians understand the health effects of sodium and to help parents choose lower sodium foods at the grocery store and when eating out.

Sodium in the food supply

An example: cottage cheese

  • In 2009 and 2010, Health Canada sampled 33 cottage cheese labels
  • The baseline sodium content for the cottage cheese category was collected from the labels:

    Sodium level Sodium mg per 100 g
    Lowest 12
    Average 375
    75% highest 408
    Highest 480
  • The Phase III Target of 280 mg, to be met by December 31, 2016 was set by subtracting 25% from the average
  • The Phase I Target of 350 mg was set at a level that would encourage a first step toward the Phase III target
  • The Phase II Target of 330 mg was set to encourage further progress toward the Phase III Target
  • The Maximum Level of 410 mg was set at the 75th percentile, rounded to the nearest tenth

In December 2016, Health Canada introduced updates to nutrition labelling regulations as part of the Healthy Eating Strategy. These updates included standardizing serving sizes to help consumers compare the Nutrition Facts table of similar products and other changes to help make the table easier to use.

To address concerns about slow approval times for sodium alternatives, Health Canada improved the efficiency of the approval process for lower sodium food additives. The use of new regulatory tools for food additives allow for more efficient approvals, once the scientific review is completed.

In 2012, Health Canada published its Guidance for the Food Industry on Reducing Sodium in Processed Foods.Footnote 8 This report asked the food industry to reduce sodium to targeted levels by the end of 2016. The goal of the targets was to lower sodium intakes from 3400 milligrams per day to under 2300 milligrams without requiring Canadians to make the effort to choose lower sodium foods. To achieve this, data modelling indicated that the targets would need to be ambitious.

Between 2009 and 2012, Health Canada consulted extensively with stakeholders, particularly the food industry, as well as the health sector and academic experts to develop the targets. Meetings with industry associations, individual companies, and food science experts focused on the feasibility of the targets. Before finalizing the targets, Health Canada took care to understand the role of sodium in the food, with a particular focus on avoiding potential technological and food safety issues. With these considerations in mind, Health Canada set the targets at levels that would move Canadians' intake as close as possible to 2300 milligrams per day. However, to bring intakes under the 2300-milligram level, Canadians would need to make an effort to choose lower sodium foods.

Based on consultation feedback, two types of reduction levels were set: "Phase III Targets" and "Maximum Levels". Interim targets, known as "Phase I Targets" and "Phase II Targets", were developed to encourage gradual reductions that would maintain consumer acceptance.

Details on the methods used to set these levels are provided in the 2012 guidance.Footnote 8 Briefly, Phase III Targets were set as sales weighted averages. This type of average is calculated by giving popular foods more weight in the calculation. The purpose of this approach is to encourage manufacturers to focus their sodium reduction efforts on the most popular brands in each category.

For most categories, the Phase III Targets were set at levels that would achieve a 25-30% reduction in the average. For example, the target reductions for cottage cheese, bacon bits, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals were 25%, 28% and 36%.

In a few cases, the targeted reductions were different. For example, in the case of cheese, feedback from stakeholders and scientific review indicated that sodium plays an important role in certain cheeses, such as aged cheddar. Therefore, the reduction for this category was set at a lower target of 7%. In the case of canned vegetables, Health Canada learned that sodium is mostly added for taste. Therefore, the reduction target was much higher, at 60%.

Maximum Levels were developed to encourage manufacturers to reduce the sodium added to the saltiest foods in each category. The range of sodium content across each food category was examined and the Maximum Level was generally set at the level below which 75% of foods fell.

In 2017, Health Canada collected data on sodium levels to evaluate manufacturers' progress toward the Phase III Targets and Maximum Levels. This report describes the results of Health Canada's evaluation. This evaluation approach is consistent with the approach taken by other countries with voluntary reduction strategies.

Methods

Sales data were used to design a food label sampling plan to collect a representative number of foods from each of the 94 categories. About 10,500 products were sampled between February and June of 2017.

Sodium information from the Nutrition Facts tables was converted to milligrams of sodium per 100 grams. This information was combined with sales volume data to determine the levels of sodium in each food category. This data was compared to the two different types of reduction levels established by Health Canada – Phase III Targets and Maximum Levels.

Phase I, II, and III Targets

Average sodium levels in each food category were compared to the baseline averages, Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III Targets. Food categories that met the final target were considered successful. If the Phase I or II Targets were met, the category was considered to have partially met the sodium reduction goal. If the Phase I Target was not met, the food category was considered to have not made meaningful progress.

Maximum Levels

The proportion of foods in each category that exceeded the Maximum Level was assessed. Categories in which at least 90% of the products were below the Maximum Level were considered to have successfully met the Maximum Level.

Results

Phase I, II, and III Targets

Appendix A to this report provides a comparison of the sodium levels to the reduction targets for each of the 94 food categories. These data are summarized in Figure 2 and the tables in Appendix B.

The overall reduction of sodium in processed foods was lower than anticipated at the outset of this initiative. Only 13 food categories (14%) met the Phase III Targets for sodium reduction (Appendix B, Table 1). Ten categories met the interim Phase II Target (Appendix B, Table 2) and 26 met the Phase I Target (Appendix B, Table 3). For example, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals reduced sodium by 29%, which met the Phase II target but not the Phase III target of 36%. If manufacturers continue to make efforts to reduce sodium in ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and other foods like canned vegetables, crackers, breads, soups, bacon, and cheeses, the Phase III targets will be reached.

In total, 45 categories did not make any meaningful progress toward sodium reduction (Appendix B, Table 4); in fact, among the 45 there were 6 categories in which sodium levels increased compared to baseline values (Appendix C).

Figure 2. Percentage of food categories that met the targets for sodium reduction

Figure 2. Percentage of food categories that met the targets for sodium reduction. Text description follows.
Figure 2. Percentage of food categories that met the targets for sodium reduction - Text Description

The figure shows the percentage of food categories that met the phase I, phase II and phase III sodium reduction targets:

  • 48% of food categories did not make any progress
  • 28% of food categories met the Phase I reduction targets
  • 10% of food categories met the Phase II reduction targets
  • 14% of food categories met the Phase III targets

Maximum levels

Only 28 food categories (30%) brought the sodium level in their saltiest foods to below the Maximum Level (Appendix D).

Discussion and Next Steps

"The Working Group recommends that Health Canada improve the current nutrition labelling system in Canada to facilitate consumer understanding and use, particularly as it relates to sodium."

Sodium Working Group
Recommendation 1-7

"The Working Group recommends that federal, provincial and territorial governments continue to explore options to reduce the exposure of children to marketing for foods that are high in sodium."

Sodium Working Group
Recommendation 2-5

The results of this evaluation show that sodium reductions in most categories of processed foods were only modest. However, even a modest reduction in the food supply will help contribute to lower sodium intakes among Canadians.

The limited success of the voluntary targets demonstrates that stronger efforts are needed to reduce sodium. A more structured voluntary approach would increase the likelihood of success. Further options include a regular sodium-monitoring program and public reduction commitments by manufacturers.

To help reduce intakes of Canadians towards 2300 milligrams, Health Canada set ambitious targets. In the months following the publication of this evaluation, Health Canada will conduct an in-depth analysis of each category and will meet with industry stakeholders and scientific experts to better understand the challenges encountered as part of their efforts to reduce sodium. Areas that will be considered include: food safety needs and shelf life concerns; technological or functional issues related to reducing sodium in commercial settings; consumer acceptance experiences; and issues related to the categorization of foods. Health Canada will also review the experience of other jurisdictions with similar approaches such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Chile, and South Africa to learn from their experiences. Additionally, Health Canada will update the sodium intake estimates for Canadians using data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey.

Health Canada is committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders to revisit the full scope of recommendations initially made by the Sodium Working Group and identify options that would further strengthen and support the food industry's efforts to reduce sodium. Furthermore, the robust sodium initiatives outlined in the Healthy Eating Strategy have the potential to create meaningful change and address the high rates of chronic disease in Canada.

Health Canada is planning to propose a regulatory approach that would require a symbol on the front of packaged foods that are high in sodium, sugars, and/or saturated fat. One objective of this approach is to help consumers quickly and easily identify foods that are high in sodium. In addition, it may encourage manufacturers of foods in some of the categories to reformulate their products to contain less sodium and thus avoid the requirement to display the symbol. In parallel, Health Canada has proposed to introduce regulations to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children less than 13 years of age. The definition of "unhealthy" will take the sodium content of foods into account.

The results of this evaluation come at a critical time. The Government of Canada made an unprecedented commitment to confronting the problem of chronic disease. This report confirms that Health Canada, the food industry, the health sector, and research experts must take a collaborative, ambitious role to improve the health of Canadians.

Appendix A: Baseline levels, reduction targets, and 2017 evaluation results

Food Category Food Category Description BASELINE LEVEL

(Sales-Weighted Average)

mg sodium per 100 g
PHASE I INTERIM TARGET

(Sales-Weighted Average)

mg sodium per 100 g
PHASE II INTERIM TARGET

(Sales-Weighted Average)

mg sodium per 100 g
PHASE III TARGET

(Sales-Weighted Average)

mg sodium per 100 g
2017 RESULTS
Measured level

(Sales-Weighted Average)

mg sodium per 100 g
Progress relative to targets
1. Bakery products
(Levels also apply to gluten free products)
1a. English muffins and raisin bread White or whole grain English muffins, crumpets, and raisin bread. 373 340 300 260 317 Met the Phase I interim target
1b. Pantry bread and rolls, bagels, croissants, and flatbreads Prepackaged white or whole grain sliced breads, bagels, croissants (includes frozen doughs as consumed), flatbreads (pita, Greek flatbread), pizza crusts, diet or low calorie breads, and pantry rolls and buns. Also includes par-baked bread and rolls. 469 430 380 330 424 Met the Phase I interim target
1c. Hearth bread Bread baked directly on the hearth or in a pan without sides for crispier crusts e.g. baguettes, crusted bread, artisan breads, rye bread, pumpernickel bread, and garlic bread. Includes breads with and without additions e.g. olives, onion and cheese. Also includes bread mixes and frozen dough as consumed. 531 520 490 470 511 Met the Phase I interim target
1d. Tortillas, wraps, and naan Refrigerated and shelf stable plain or flavoured tortillas, wraps or naan. Excludes pita (see 1b). 698 650 600 550 557 Met the Phase II interim target
1e. Pie dough and shells Refrigerated or frozen pie or tart shells, and dry mixes as consumed. Excludes graham cracker crusts. 369 350 300 250 376 Did not make meaningful progress
1f. Refrigerated dough Refrigerated fruit filled pastry, garlic bread, croissant, and dinner roll dough. Excludes refrigerated cookie dough (see 1j). 733 660 590 510 689 Did not make meaningful progress
1g. Dry bread Melba toast, rusks, breadsticks, pita or baguette chips, and other crisp breads. Excludes breadcrumbs and croutons (see 1h). 733 650 570 480 580 Met the Phase I interim target
1h. Breadcrumbs, croutons, and salad toppers Plain seasoned breadcrumbs, croutons, and salad toppers e.g. fried chow mein noodles and wonton strips. 916 840 760 670 762 Met the Phase I interim target
1i. Crackers Plain or flavoured crackers, sandwich crackers, puffed cakes, and graham crackers e.g. cheese crackers, soda crackers, and rice cakes. Excludes dry breads (see 1g). 859 770 690 600 748 Met the Phase I interim target
1j. Cookies Filled and unfilled sweet cookies, biscuits, refrigerated dough, and dry mixes as consumed. Excludes infant and toddler cookies and biscuits (see 15b) and graham crackers (see 1i). 363 320 280 240 276 Met the Phase II interim target
1k. Baked desserts Cakes, cheesecakes, snack cakes, pies, fruit crisps, doughnuts (yeast and cake types), pastries, sweet buns, brownies and squares, muffins and quick breads, and dry mix products as consumed. Excludes non-yeast leavened cinnamon rolls (see 1p). 349 310 270 230 315 Did not make meaningful progress
1l. Toaster pastries Toaster pastries with fruit or other fillings. 360 350 330 320 358 Did not make meaningful progress
1m. Granola and cereal type bars Granola bars (plain and coated), fruit filled bars, and muffin-type bars. Excludes sweet and salty bars (see 1n), and infant and toddler snack bars (see 15b). 276 240 210 180 244 Did not make meaningful progress
1n. Sweet and salty bars Sweet and salty granola bars. 398 370 340 300 407 Did not make meaningful progress
1o. Pancakes, waffles, and French toast Shelf stable, frozen, refrigerated, and dry mix products as consumed. 614 530 490 440 562 Did not make meaningful progress
1p. Tea biscuits and scones Ready-made and dry mix tea biscuits, scones, and non-yeast leavened cinnamon rolls as consumed. 789 730 630 530 691 Met the Phase I interim target
2. Breakfast cereals
2a. Ready-to-eat cereals Granola, muesli, shredded, flaked, puffed, extruded, and high-fibre compact cereals. 558 490 430 360 395 Met the Phase II interim target
2b. Hot instant cereals Plain and flavoured hot instant cereals (dry mix, as sold) e.g. oatmeal. 539 460 400 340 425 Met the Phase I interim target
3. Dairy products and substitutes
3a. Cottage cheese Plain and flavoured cottage cheese. Excludes ricotta. 375 350 330 280 278 Met the Phase III target
3b. Cream cheese, cream cheese products, and soft unripened goat cheese Plain and flavoured (sweet or savoury) products. Includes cream cheese spread, cream cheese-style products, and soft unripened goat cheese. Excludes cream cheese based dips (see 11e). 472 440 410 350 448 Did not make meaningful progress
3c. Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Brick, Colby, Gouda, and Mozzarella Brie, Camembert, mild, medium and old Cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Brick, Colby, Gouda, Mozzarella (including pasta filata), string cheese, and shredded mixed cheese. Excludes fresh Mozzarella and cheese curds. 720 710 700 670 698 Met the Phase II interim target
3d. Hard cheese, grated and ungrated Shelf stable and refrigerated hard cheese e.g. Parmesan and Romano. 2293 2150 2010 1720 1403 Met the Phase III target
3e. Feta and feta-style cheese Cheese sold in brine and cheese salted through a brine e.g. feta cheese. 1323 1270 1210 1100 1251 Met the Phase I interim target
3f. Processed cheese and other cheese products Processed cheese products made from an emulsified blend of natural cheese. Includes spreads, blocks, and slices with or without added ingredients. Excludes string cheese (see 3c). 1610 1520 1420 1240 1444 Met the Phase I interim target
3g. Dairy-free cheese and spreads Soy, rice, and other dairy-free cheese slices, blocks, and spreads. 616 560 510 460 957 Did not make meaningful progress
4. Fats and oils
4a. Salted butter and butter blends Plain and flavoured butter and butter blends. Excludes unsalted butter. 678 620 550 480 696 Did not make meaningful progress
4b. Salted margarine Plain and flavoured margarine. Excludes unsalted margarine. 692 620 550 480 665 Did not make meaningful progress
4c. Mayonnaise and mayonnaise type spreads and dressing Plain and flavoured mayonnaise and mayonnaise type spreads and dressings. Includes low fat and fat-free versions, and oil based sandwich spreads. Includes standardized salad dressing (see B.07.040 and B.07.042 of the Food and Drug Regulations). 760 680 610 530 745 Did not make meaningful progress
4d. Salad dressing and vinaigrette Refrigerated and shelf stable oil and vinegar based dressings, creamy dressings, and salad dressing mixes as consumed. Includes low fat and fat-free versions. Excludes standardized salad dressing (B.07.040 and B.07.042 of the Food and Drug Regulations) (see 4c). 987 890 790 690 843 Met the Phase I interim target
5. Fish and seafood products
5a. Canned tuna Shelf stable water and oil packed tuna. Excludes sauce packed tuna (see 5b). 339 310 280 250 350 Did not make meaningful progress
5b. Canned salmon and other canned fish and shellfish Canned salmon, water and oil packed fish, sauce packed fish, fish salad and shellfish e.g. sardines, mackerel, sauce packed tuna, shrimp, crab, clams, and smoked oysters. Includes retort packed products. Excludes water and oil packed tuna (see 5a) and anchovies. 384 360 340 320 361 Did not make meaningful progress
5c. Imitation and simulated seafood Surimi, crab flavoured pollock, imitation or simulated crab and lobster meat. 630 600 580 550 462 Met the Phase III target
5d. Kippered fish Kippered fish e.g. kippered herring. 707 650 600 540 401 Met the Phase III target
5e. Frozen plain fish and seafood with added sodium phosphate Frozen plain fish and seafood with added sodium phosphate. 285 260 240 220 365 Did not make meaningful progress
5f. Fish and seafood: cakes or burgers, seasoned, and breaded or battered Fish and seafood: cakes and burgers, seasoned, with sauce or seasoning, breaded or battered, and stuffed fish. 460 390 350 300 376 Met the Phase I interim target
5g. Smoked fish Smoked fish e.g. smoked salmon and smoked rainbow trout. Excludes fresh smoked fish and salmon jerky (see 7k). 811 740 680 610 741 Did not make meaningful progress
5h. Fish and seafood mousse, spread, and dips Fish and seafood based mousse, spread, and dips. 573 510 460 400 507 Met the Phase I interim target
6. Mixed dishes
6a. Canned chili Shelf stable vegetarian and meat chili. 303 280 250 220 297 Did not make meaningful progress
6b. Canned stew and meatballs Shelf stable stew, meatballs, and curries. 503 470 440 410 470 Did not make meaningful progress
6c. Shelf stable pasta, noodles, and rice or grains with sauce or seasoned Shelf stable pasta, noodles, and rice or grain mixes with sauce or seasonings, as consumed e.g. macaroni with cheese sauce, noodles in tomato sauce, and teriyaki noodles. 368 330 300 270 557 Did not make meaningful progress
6d. Stuffing mixes Shelf stable stuffing mixes as consumed. Excludes refrigerated stuffing (see 6j or 6k). 530 520 510 500 457 Met the Phase III target
6e. Baked and refried beans Shelf stable meat and vegetarian baked beans and refried beans. 335 310 280 250 322 Did not make meaningful progress
6f. Pizza, pizza snacks, and frozen sandwiches Frozen and refrigerated pizza, pizza snacks, calzones, and frozen sandwiches with or without meat. Excludes sandwich wraps and burritos (see 6j or 6k). 589 520 460 400 532 Did not make meaningful progress
6g. Frozen potatoes Plain and seasoned French fries, sweet potato fries, hash browns and potato patties. 266 230 200 170 258 Did not make meaningful progress
6h. Dry mashed or scalloped potatoes Dehydrated scalloped or mashed potatoes as consumed. 376 350 320 290 412 Did not make meaningful progress
6i. Refrigerated prepared salads Refrigerated prepared salads e.g. potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, vegetable salad, bean salad, couscous, and rice salad. 318 290 260 220 308 Did not make meaningful progress
6j. Refrigerated or frozen appetizers/sides/entrees with a serving size less than 170 g Dinner entrees, meal sides, meal centers, and appetizers with a serving size less than 170 grams. Excludes all other items listed in Group 6. 480 440 390 350 412 Met the Phase I interim target
6k. Refrigerated or frozen appetizers/sides/entrees with a serving size of 170 g or more Dinner entrees, meal sides, meal centers, and appetizers with a serving size of 170 grams or more. Excludes all other items listed in Group 6. 288 260 240 220 272 Did not make meaningful progress
7. Meat products
7a. Uncooked bacon - belly Uncooked belly bacon. Excludes back bacon (see 7o), bacon substitutes (see 7b), and pre-cooked shelf stable bacon (see 7p). 619 610 590 580 588 Met the Phase II interim target
7b. Fully cooked breakfast strips and bacon substitutes Chicken, turkey, and other meat based breakfast strips. Excludes back bacon (see 7f) and pre-cooked shelf stable bacon (see 7p). 961 940 930 910 886 Met the Phase III target
7c. Uncooked fresh sausage Uncooked breakfast and dinner sausages e.g. pork, chicken and turkey. 789 750 700 660 691 Met the Phase II interim target
7d. Fully cooked sausage - smoked and unsmoked, and wieners Wieners (hot dogs) and smoked or unsmoked sausages with or without cheese. 990 940 880 830 883 Met the Phase I interim target
7e. Pâtés and spreads Pâtés and spreads e.g. creton and liverwurst. Excludes fish pâtés and spreads (see 5h). 781 710 640 570 703 Met the Phase I interim target
7f. Packaged deli meats - fully cooked Cooked deli meat e.g. smoked meat, pastrami, bologna, corned beef, ham, sliced chicken and turkey, luncheon meat loaf, roast beef, cooked pepperoni, and cooked back bacon. 1028 970 910 850 903 Met the Phase II interim target
7g. Packaged deli meats - dry cured, fermented, no thermal process Dry cured, fermented deli meats which have not been thermally processed, e.g. salami and dried pepperoni. Excludes Prosciutto. 1592 1510 1420 1330 1549 Did not make meaningful progress
7h. Canned chicken or turkey Shelf stable flakes and chunks of chicken or turkey. 554 520 480 450 579 Did not make meaningful progress
7i. Canned meat Shelf stable meats e.g. Vienna sausage, flaked ham, corned beef, and luncheon meat. 865 840 820 790 847 Did not make meaningful progress
7j. Meat sticks Shelf stable and refrigerated meat sticks e.g. pepperoni, turkey, beef, ham, and chicken. 1204 1160 1120 1080 1191 Did not make meaningful progress
7k. Jerky Shelf stable jerky e.g. beef, turkey, and salmon. 2355 2200 2050 1900 1552 Met the Phase III target
7l. Meat/Poultry marinated or flavoured and moisture enhanced, uncured Whole muscle cuts with sauce, marinade and/or dry rubs, and meat with added sodium phosphate. 458 430 400 370 734 Did not make meaningful progress
7m. Burgers, meatballs, meat loaf, and breaded meat and poultry Meat and poultry burgers, meatballs and meatloaf, and breaded meat products e.g. products with cheese, breaded and unbreaded burgers, strips, nuggets, chicken burgers, chicken balls, schnitzel, and cutlets. 503 490 470 450 529 Did not make meaningful progress
7n. Chicken wings Cooked and uncooked chicken wings in sauce, breaded or battered, and seasoned. 689 650 610 570 978 Did not make meaningful progress
7o. Preserved meat - uncooked Uncooked pickled, corned, cured or smoked meats (excludes dried and salted meats) e.g. cottage roll, corned beef, pork picnic, Wiltshire bacon, and uncooked back bacon. Excludes belly bacon (see 7a) and cooked back bacon (see 7f). 1084 1020 960 900 746 Met the Phase III target
7p. Bacon bits and shelf stable pre-cooked bacon Shelf stable real and simulated bacon bits and bacon strips. 2514 2250 2020 1800 1631 Met the Phase III target
8. Meat substitutes
8a. Seasoned tofu and tempeh Savoury, marinated, and seasoned tofu and tempeh. Excludes plain tofu, tofu based desserts and plain tempeh. 148 130 120 100 46 Met the Phase III target
8b. Meat analogues Frozen and refrigerated meat analogs e.g. veggie patties, burgers, veggie dogs, meatballs, and deli style slices. Excludes dairy-free cheese (see 3g). 577 540 460 380 545 Did not make meaningful progress
9. Soups
9a. Canned, dried, and refrigerated soups Canned condensed, ready-to-serve, and dried cream and broth-based soup, broth, stock, bouillon, and consommé as consumed. Includes fresh and instant oriental noodle soups. 289 280 260 240 266 Met the Phase I interim target
10. Snacks
10a. Chips, popcorn, and extruded corn snacks Potato, corn, tortilla, rice, and vegetable chips; extruded and puffed corn snacks; microwave and stovetop ready popcorn, and seasoned or candied ready to eat popcorn. Excludes unseasoned dry popcorn kernels. 676 580 490 400 645 Did not make meaningful progress
10b. Pretzels and snack mixes Hard pretzels, candied pretzels, sesame sticks, and assorted snack mixes. Excludes trail mix. 1307 1140 970 790 1103 Met the Phase I interim target
10c. Nuts, seeds, and kernels, seasoned and candied Seasoned, salted, and candied nuts, seeds, and kernels e.g. salted sunflower seeds, BBQ peanuts, and beer nuts. Excludes unsalted products. 519 460 390 320 406 Met the Phase I interim target
10d. Pudding Refrigerated, shelf stable, and dry mix puddings as consumed. Includes soy pudding. 130 110 100 80 129 Did not make meaningful progress
11. Sauces, dips, gravies and condiments
11a. Pasta sauce Shelf stable, refrigerated, frozen, and dry mix tomato-based pasta, pizza, and lasagna sauces, and cream or cheese sauces, as consumed. 461 410 360 320 367 Met the Phase I interim target
11b. Pesto Shelf stable and refrigerated pesto e.g. basil or sun-dried tomato pesto. 1094 990 880 770 629 Met the Phase III target
11c. Tomato sauce Shelf stable plain or flavoured tomato sauce. Excludes tomato-based pasta sauces (see 11a) and tomato paste (see 12a). 386 380 300 250 334 Met the Phase I interim target
11d. Condiments Shelf stable condiments e.g. ketchup, chili sauce, seafood sauce, BBQ sauce, steak sauce, chutney, and mustard. Excludes relish (see 12d). 1002 890 770 660 1049 Did not make meaningful progress
11e. Gravy, cooking sauces, dips, and salsa. Shelf stable, refrigerated and dry mix gravy, cooking sauces (e.g. hollandaise, curry, and stir-fry sauces), salsa, and vegetable, legume, and dairy-based dips as consumed. Excludes curry paste (see 11i). 637 570 480 400 636 Did not make meaningful progress
11f. Sweet oriental sauces Sweet oriental sauces e.g. plum sauce, cherry sauce, pineapple sauce, and sweet and sour sauce. Excludes sweet chili sauce (see 11g). 158 140 120 100 514 Did not make meaningful progress
11g. Soya and other oriental sauces Oriental sauces e.g. soya, teriyaki, black bean, fish, hoisin, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce. Excludes stir-fry sauce (see 11e), marinades (see 11h), and sweet oriental sauces (see 11f). 3475 3100 2700 2300 3549 Did not make meaningful progress
11h. Marinades Shelf stable and dry marinade mixes as consumed. 2755 2440 2120 1800 2412 Met the Phase I interim target
11i. Curry pastes Curry pastes e.g. Thai and Indian. 2023 1740 1520 1300 1995 Did not make meaningful progress
12. Vegetables
12a. Tomato paste with additions Tomato paste with additions e.g. tomato paste with herbs or garlic. Excludes plain tomato paste with no added salt. 727 640 560 470 252 Met the Phase III target
12b. Canned vegetables and legumes Canned vegetables and legumes e.g. potatoes, tomatoes, corn, peas, green beans, mushrooms, mixed vegetables, beets (plain and pickled), kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, and bean salads. 246 200 150 100 186 Met the Phase I interim target
12c. Sour pickled vegetables Shelf stable sour pickled vegetables e.g. cucumbers, onions, peppers, sauerkraut, and other vegetables. 891 810 720 640 854 Did not make meaningful progress
12d. Sweet pickled vegetables Shelf stable sweet pickled vegetables e.g. cucumbers, onions, relish, and other vegetables. 558 500 450 400 506 Did not make meaningful progress
12e. Olives and sundried tomatoes Shelf stable un-stuffed olives, tapenade, and sundried tomatoes. Excludes stuffed olives (see 12f). 1227 1160 1020 880 1163 Did not make meaningful progress
12f. Stuffed olives Shelf stable stuffed olives. 1801 1750 1680 1600 1603 Met the Phase II interim target
12g. Vegetable juice and cocktail Vegetable juice and vegetable juice cocktail e.g. tomato juice, carrot juice, and tomato and clam juice. Excludes vegetable and fruit juice blends. 236 220 200 180 199 Met the Phase II interim target
13. Nut butters
13a. Nut butters Nut butters e.g. peanut, almond, cashew, and soy. Excludes unsalted nut butters and tahini. 447 400 350 300 354 Met the Phase I interim target
14. Seasoning mixes
14a. Breading, batter, and coatings Meat, fish, and vegetable breading or batter coatings. 3005 2650 2250 1840 2631 Met the Phase I interim target
14b. Dry seasoning mixes Dry seasoning mixes for side and main dishes e.g. chili, stew, fajita, and salad seasoning. Includes popcorn seasoning. Excludes salts listed in Division 7 of the Food and Drug Regulations. 7281 6500 5800 5100 10557 Did not make meaningful progress
14c. Meat and fish seasoning Dry seasoning for meat and fish e.g. steak spice. 17521 17200 15000 12700 17255 Did not make meaningful progress
15. Infant and toddler foods
15a. Toddler mixed dishes Shelf stable and frozen toddler entrees. 215 210 200 190 96 Met the Phase III target
15b. Cookies, biscuits and snack bars Infant and toddler cookies, biscuits and snack bars. 247 220 190 160 166 Met the Phase II interim target
15c. Savoury snacks Infant and toddler seasoned extruded snacks. 714 610 500 400 514 Met the Phase I interim target

Appendix B: Summary of sodium levels compared to sodium reduction targets

Table 1. Food categories that met the Phase III target for sodium reduction
Food Category Examples of Foods in Category
Dairy Products and Substitutes
Cottage cheese Plain and flavoured cottage cheese
Hard cheese, grated and ungrated Parmesan and Romano
Fish and Seafood Products
Imitation and simulated seafood Crab flavoured pollock, simulated crab and lobster meat
Kippered fish Kippered herring
Meat Products
Fully cooked breakfast strips and bacon substitutes Chicken, turkey, and other meat based breakfast strips
Jerky Beef, turkey, and salmon jerky
Preserved meat – uncooked Cottage roll, corned beef, smoked meat, and uncooked back bacon
Bacon bits and shelf stable pre-cooked bacon Simulated bacon bits and bacon strips
Meat Substitutes
Seasoned tofu and tempeh Savoury, marinated, and seasoned tofu and tempeh
Mixed Dishes
Stuffing mixes Shelf stable stuffing mixes
Vegetables
Tomato paste with additions Tomato paste with herbs or garlic
Sauces, Dips, Gravies and Condiments
Pesto Basil or sun-dried tomato pesto
Infant and Toddler Foods
Toddler mixed dishes Shelf stable and frozen toddler entrees
Table 2. Food categories that met the Phase II interim target for sodium reduction
Food Category Examples of Foods in Category
Bakery Products
Tortillas and wraps Plain or flavoured tortillas, wraps or naan
Cookies Filled and unfilled sweet cookies and biscuits
Breakfast Cereals
Ready-to-eat cereals Granola, muesli, shredded, flaked, puffed, extruded, and high-fibre cereals
Dairy Products and Substitutes
Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Brick, Colby, Gouda, and Mozzarella Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Brick, Colby, Gouda, Mozzarella
Meat Products
Uncooked bacon – belly Uncooked belly bacon
Uncooked fresh sausage Uncooked breakfast and dinner sausages
Packaged deli meats - fully cooked Pastrami, bologna, ham, sliced chicken and turkey, roast beef and pepperoni
Vegetables
Stuffed olives Stuffed olives
Vegetable juice and cocktail Tomato juice, carrot juice, and tomato and clam juice
Infant and Toddler Foods
Toddler cookies, biscuits and snack bars Infant and toddler cookies, biscuits and snack bars
Table 3. Food categories that met the Phase I interim target for sodium reduction
Food Category Examples of Foods in Category
Bakery Products
English muffins and raisin bread White or whole grain English muffins, crumpets, and raisin bread
Pantry bread and rolls, bagels, croissants, and flatbreads White or whole grain sliced breads, bagels, croissants, and flatbreads
Hearth bread Baguettes, crusted bread, artisan breads, rye bread, and garlic bread
Dry bread Melba toast, rusks, breadsticks, pita or baguette chips, and other crisp breads
Breadcrumbs, croutons, and salad toppers Plain and seasoned breadcrumbs, croutons, and salad toppers
Crackers Cheese crackers, soda crackers, and rice cakes
Tea biscuits and scones Tea biscuits, scones, and non-yeast leavened cinnamon rolls
Breakfast Cereals
Hot instant cereals Flavoured oatmeal
Dairy Products and Substitutes
Feta and feta-style cheese Feta cheese
Processed cheese and other cheese products Cheese spreads, blocks, and slices with or without added ingredients
Fish and Seafood Products
Fish and seafood: cakes or burgers, seasoned, and breaded or battered Seasoned, breaded, battered, and stuffed fish
Fish and seafood mousse, spread, and dips Fish and seafood based mousse, spread, and dips
Meat Products
Fully cooked sausage - smoked and unsmoked, and wieners Wieners (hot dogs) and smoked or unsmoked sausages
Pâtés and spreads Cretons and liverwurst
Mixed Dishes
Refrigerated or frozen appetizers/sides/entrees with a serving size less than 170 g Frozen appetizers
Soups
Canned, dried, and refrigerated soups Canned condensed, ready-to-serve cream and broth-based soup, dry soup mixes
Vegetables
Canned vegetables and legumes Canned tomatoes, corn, peas, green beans, kidney beans and lentils
Fats and Oils
Salad dressing and vinaigrette Oil and vinegar based and creamy dressings
Nut Butters
Nut butters Salted peanut, almond, cashew, and soy butters
Sauces, Dips, Gravies and Condiments
Pasta sauce Tomato-based pasta, pizza, and lasagna sauces, and cream or cheese sauces
Tomato sauce Plain or flavoured tomato sauce
Marinades Dry marinade mixes as consumed
Seasoning Mixes
Breading, batter, and coatings Breading or batter coatings for meat, fish and vegetables
Snacks
Pretzels and snack mixes Hard pretzels, candied pretzels, sesame sticks, and assorted snack mixes
Nuts, seeds, and kernels, seasoned and candied Salted sunflower seeds, peanuts, and nuts
Infant and Toddler Foods
Toddler savoury snacks Infant and toddler seasoned extruded snacks
Table 4. Food categories that did not make meaningful progress in sodium reduction
Food Category Examples of Foods in Category
Bakery Products
Pie dough and shells Refrigerated or frozen pie or tart shells
Refrigerated dough Refrigerated fruit filled pastry, garlic bread, croissant, and dinner roll dough
Baked desserts Cakes, snack cakes, pies, doughnuts, pastries, brownies and muffins
Toaster pastries Toaster pastries with fruit or other fillings
Granola and cereal type bars Granola bars (plain and coated), fruit filled bars, and muffin-type bars
Sweet and salty bars Sweet and salty granola bars
Pancakes, waffles, and French toast Dry pancake mix as consumed
Dairy Products and Substitutes
Cream cheese, cream cheese products, and soft unripened goat cheese Cream cheese spread, cream cheese-style products, and soft unripened goat cheese
Dairy-free cheese and spreads Soy, rice, and other dairy-free cheese slices, blocks, and spreads
Fish and Seafood Products
Canned tuna Water and oil packed tuna
Canned salmon and other canned fish and shellfish Sardines, mackerel, sauce packed tuna, shrimp, crab, clams, and smoked oysters
Frozen plain fish and seafood with added sodium phosphate Frozen plain fish and seafood with added sodium phosphate
Smoked fish Smoked salmon and smoked rainbow trout
Meat Products
Packaged deli meats - dry cured, fermented, no thermal process Salami and dried pepperoni
Canned chicken or turkey Canned flakes and chunks of chicken or turkey
Canned meat Canned Vienna sausage, flaked ham, corned beef, and luncheon meat
Meat sticks Pepperoni, turkey, beef, ham, and chicken sticks
Meat/Poultry marinated or flavoured and moisture enhanced, uncured Meat and poultry with added sodium phosphate
Burgers, meatballs, meat loaf, and breaded meat and poultry Beef burgers, breaded and unbreaded chicken burgers, chicken strips and nuggets, and schnitzel
Chicken wings Cooked and uncooked chicken wings
Meat Substitutes
Meat analogues Veggie patties, burgers, veggie dogs, meatballs, and deli style slices
Mixed Dishes
Canned chili Shelf stable vegetarian and meat chili
Canned stew and meatballs Canned stew, meatballs, and curries
Shelf stable pasta, noodles, and rice or grains with sauce or seasoned Macaroni with cheese sauce, noodles in tomato sauce, and teriyaki noodles
Baked and refried beans Meat and vegetarian baked beans and refried beans
Pizza, pizza snacks, and frozen sandwiches Frozen and refrigerated pizza and calzones, and frozen sandwiches
Frozen potatoes French fries, sweet potato fries, hash browns and potato patties
Dry mashed or scalloped potatoes Dehydrated scalloped or mashed potatoes.
Refrigerated prepared salads Potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, bean salad, couscous, and rice salad
Refrigerated or frozen appetizers/sides/entrees with a serving size of 170 g or more Refrigerated or frozen dinner entrees with a serving size of 170 g or greater
Vegetables
Sour pickled vegetables Pickled cucumbers, onions and peppers and sauerkraut
Sweet pickled vegetables Sweet pickles and relish
Olives and sundried tomatoes Olives (not stuffed), tapenade, and sundried tomatoes
Fats and Oils
Salted butter and butter blends Plain and flavoured butter and butter blends
Salted margarine Plain and flavoured margarine
Mayonnaise and mayonnaise type spreads and dressing Plain and flavoured mayonnaise and mayonnaise type spreads and dressings
Sauces, Dips, Gravies and Condiments
Condiments Ketchup, chili sauce, seafood sauce, BBQ sauce, steak sauce and mustard
Gravy, cooking sauces, dips, and salsa. Hollandaise, curry, and stir-fry sauces and salsa
Sweet oriental sauces Plum sauce, cherry sauce, pineapple sauce, and sweet and sour sauce
Soya and other oriental sauces Soya, teriyaki, black bean, fish, hoisin, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce
Curry pastes Thai and Indian curry pastes
Seasoning Mixes
Dry seasoning mixes Chili, stew, fajita, and salad seasoning
Meat and fish seasoning Steak spice
Snacks
Chips, popcorn, and extruded corn snacks Potato, corn, tortilla, rice, and vegetable chips.
Pudding Refrigerated and dry mix puddings

Appendix C: Food categories in which sodium increased since baseline

Dairy Products and Substitutes

  • Dairy-free cheese and spreads

Fish and Seafood Products

  • Frozen plain fish and seafood with added sodium phosphate

Mixed Dishes

  • Dry mashed or scalloped potatoes

Sauces, Dips, Gravies and Condiments

  • Condiments (ketchup, chili sauce, seafood sauce, BBQ sauce, steak sauce and mustard)
  • Sweet oriental sauces

Seasoning Mixes

  • Dry seasoning mixes

Appendix D: Summary of sodium levels compared to Maximum Levels

List of food categories where the sodium levels of at least 90% of food products moved below the Maximum Levels by 2017

Bakery Products

  • Tortillas and wraps
  • Pie dough and shells

Breakfast Cereals

  • Ready-to-eat cereals
  • Instant hot cereals

Dairy Products and Substitutes

  • Cottage cheese
  • Cream cheese, cream cheese products, and soft unripened goat cheese

Fish and Seafood Products

  • Canned tuna
  • Imitation and simulated seafood
  • Kippered fish
  • Smoked fish

Meat Products

  • Bacon bits and shelf stable precooked bacon

Meat Substitutes

  • Seasoned tofu and tempeh

Mixed Dishes

  • Canned chili
  • Canned stew and meatballs
  • Stuffing mixes
  • Pizza, pizza snacks and frozen sandwiches

Soups

  • Soups

Vegetables

  • Tomato paste with additions
  • Vegetable juices and cocktails

Fats and Oils

  • Salted butter and butter blends
  • Salted margarine
  • Salad dressing and vinaigrette

Nut Butters

  • Nut Butters

Sauces, Dips, Gravies and Condiments

  • Pasta sauce
  • Tomato sauce

Seasoning Mixes

  • Meat and fish seasoning

Infant and Toddler Foods

  • Toddler mixed dishes
  • Toddler cookies, biscuits and snack bars

References

Footnote 1

Public Health Agency of Canada. How Healthy are Canadians? 2016. [cited 2017 Oct 19]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/how-healthy-canadians.html.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

Statistics Canada. Leading causes of death. 2013. [cited 2017 Oct 19]. Available from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/hlth36a-eng.htm.

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Footnote 3

Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. 2005. Washington (DC): National Academies Press.

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Footnote 4

World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Noncommunicable diseases. 2014. [cited 2017 Oct 19]. Available from: http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd-status-report-2014/en/.

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Footnote 5

Garriguet D. Sodium consumption at all ages. Health Reports. 2007;18:47-52.

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Footnote 6

Health Canada. Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada, Recommendations of the Sodium Working Group. 2010. [cited 2017 Oct 19]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/sodium/related-information/reduction-strategy/recommendations-sodium-working-group.html.

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Footnote 7

Moubarac J-C. Ultra-processed foods in Canada: consumption, impact on diet quality and policy implications. 2017. [cited 2017 Dec 16]. Available from: http://www.heartandstroke.ca/-/media/pdf-files/canada/media-centre/hs-report-upp-moubarac-dec-5-2017.ashx

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Footnote 8

Health Canada. Guidance for the Food Industry on Reducing Sodium in Processed Foods. 2012. [cited 2017 Oct 19]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/legislation-guidelines/guidance-documents/guidance-food-industry-reducing-sodium-processed-foods-2012.html.

Return to first footnote 8 referrer

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