Laws and Policies that Support the Reduction of Sodium in the Food Supply

The Public Health Law Program (PHLP) provides resources on state governments’ laws and policies related to dietary sodium and sodium intake in various populations. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP), excess dietary sodium raises the risk for high blood pressure and its cardiovascular health consequences, including heart disease and stroke, the 1st and 4th leading causes of death in the US. Further, although the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend reducing sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, the average adult consumes over 3,400 mg. Persons who are 51 and older and those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease are recommended to further reduce sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day. PHLP and DHDSP created the following resources as part of a longstanding collaboration.

Government Procurement

School Foods

Institutional Settings

Other Resources

Disclaimer: Information available on this website that was not developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not necessarily represent any CDC policy, position, or endorsement of that information or of its sources. The information contained on this website is not legal advice; if you have questions about a specific law or its application you should consult your legal counsel.