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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Institute of Medicine
Food and Nutrition Board
Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake

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Congressional Briefings
Monday, April 19, 2010
607 Hart Senate Office Bldg. 11:00 a.m.
and
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
2318 Rayburn House Office Bldg. 1:00 p.m.

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on

Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the U.S. Population

by

Jane E. Henney, Professor of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio; and Chair, Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake, Institute of Medicine, The National Academies

Gary K. Beauchamp, Director, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Member, Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake, Institute of Medicine, The National Academies

Mary K. Muth, Director, Food and Agricultural Policy Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC; and Member, Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake, Institute of Medicine, The National Academies

Requested by Congress in P.L. 110-161, the Institute of Medicine convened an ad hoc consensus committee to review and make recommendations about various means that could be employed to reduce dietary sodium intake to levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These means or strategies are to address a range of focal points including but not limited to (i) actions by food manufacturers such as new product development and food reformulation, (ii) actions at the government level such as special initiatives and regulatory or legislative options, and (iii) actions by public health professionals and consumer educators. Approaches to fostering innovation and, as appropriate, exploring public-private partnerships and other creative solutions have been taken into account. The report of this committee will be publicly released April 21. Funders of the report include CDC, FDA, NIH (NHLBI), and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within HHS.

These series of briefings were for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on April 20, 2010 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.