Sodium content in packaged foods by census division in the United States, 2009

Prev Chronic Dis. 2015 Apr 2:12:E43. doi: 10.5888/pcd12.140500.

Abstract

Excess sodium intake correlates positively with high blood pressure. Blood pressure varies by region, but whether sodium content of foods sold varies across regions is unknown. We combined nutrition and sales data from 2009 to assess the regional variation of sodium in packaged food products sold in 3 of the 9 US census divisions. Although sodium density and concentration differed little by region, fewer than half of selected food products met Food and Drug Administration sodium-per-serving conditions for labeling as "healthy." Regional differences in hypertension were not reflected in differences in the sodium content of packaged foods from grocery stores.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Censuses
  • Commerce
  • Databases, Factual
  • Diet / standards
  • Food / classification
  • Food Analysis / statistics & numerical data*
  • Food Labeling / standards
  • Food Labeling / statistics & numerical data*
  • Food Packaging* / statistics & numerical data
  • Food Supply / economics
  • Food Supply / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / prevention & control
  • Nutrition Policy
  • Nutritive Value*
  • Risk Factors
  • Sodium, Dietary / adverse effects
  • Sodium, Dietary / analysis*
  • United States

Substances

  • Sodium, Dietary