Salt group peppered with questions over delays

OTTAWA — Under pressure to explain what they've been up to for the last two years, members of the federal government's Sodium Working Group revealed Monday that they have agreed to an initial set of reduction targets.

Canadians currently consume about 3500 mg of sodium every day — far more than the recommended daily intake of 1200 to 1500 mg for most adults and above the upper limit of 2300 mg that people are advised not to exceed.

Speaking before the House of Commons health committee, the group's co-chair Mary L'Abbe said that by 2016 the group wants Canadians down to the upper limit. By 2020 the goal is to have intake levels down to the recommended adequate daily intake.

L'Abbe said getting Canadians down to even the upper limit would be a "milestone."

"That would mean a significant reduction in sodium intake by the Canadian population," said L'Abbe, adding that the working group is borrowing heavily from a model developed in the United Kingdom.

Reaching the intended targets is "urgent" and going to require "very strong government oversight," Dr. Norman Campbell, president of Blood Pressure Canada, told the committee.

Food companies will have to be good corporate citizens, he added. A system of voluntary reductions in the amount of sodium that is added to processed and restaurant foods, with the threat of mandatory regulation, should be enough to have the food industry comply, he said.

The Sodium Working Group was struck in 2007 and is comprised of representatives from government, health and consumer advocacy groups and the food industry.

Monday's committee meeting was meant to be a briefing for MPs on sodium consumption and the witnesses included L'Abbe, Bill Jefferey from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, Ron Reaman from the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association, Phyllis Tanaka from Food and Consumer Products of Canada and Kevin Willis from the Canadian Stroke Network — all of whom are members of the Sodium Working Group.

They were asked by some MPs, however, to explain what is taking so long for the group to produce results, especially if salt is such a big health threat.

Medical experts warn that excess sodium consumption is associated with increased blood pressure which is a risk factor for stroke, heart attacks, kidney disease and heart failure. In Canada, about one in four Canadians has hypertension and it is estimated that about three-quarters of those people have the condition because of high sodium intake. It is also estimated that about 80 per cent of sodium in Canadians' diets comes from processed foods.

L'Abbe said the group would have been farther ahead than it is now if it weren't for last year's federal election which put their work on hold because they are an advisory committee.

Since then it has held public consultations and is making its way through its four-stage approach to developing a national strategy, Tanaka said. The working group is expected to issue a report later this year or early next year.

But one member of the working group doesn't want to wait for the report before seeing the federal government take action.

"Minister of Health (Leona) Aglukkaq needn't wait to impress upon companies the importance of reducing sodium levels. Health Canada's message should be clear: Salt should be used judiciously in foods, not gratuitously. Persistently gratuitous use of salt should be met with regulatory action," Jeffery told the committee.

Among his group's recommendations is a requirement for nutritional information to be posted on menus and menu boards in large chain restaurants. Warning labels for high-sodium foods should be on those menus, according to the CSPI, as well as on pre-packaged foods.

Canada's Food Guide should also be revised to include more emphasis on reducing sodium consumption, it says. Jeffery also questioned whether asking the food industry to voluntarily reduce the amount of sodium it adds to products will truly be effective.

The food industry representatives say they are on board and willing to play their part to help Canadians cut back on salt.

Reaman said that the reductions however, must be gradual.

"You have to appreciate that in the restaurant industry we are a consumer-driven, demand-driven business. At the end of the day we sell what our customers want," he said in an interview with Canwest News Service. "Canadians are used to a certain level of sodium in their foods and we need to make sure that any reductions or reformulations (of products) happen gradually so that we don't alienate our customer base."

If the reductions are too radical, consumers will just end up adding their own salt after they have purchased the product, he said.

The health advocates and industry groups agreed that federal funds are going to be needed to mount a massive public awareness campaign to warn Canadians about the dangers of excess sodium.