Message from the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health

This content was archived on June 24, 2013.

World Salt Awareness Week

March 2011

During World Salt Awareness Week, I encourage all Canadians to take a moment to reflect on how they can decrease their sodium intake.

On average we eat more than double the amount we need for good health.  Healthy adults should eat 1500 mg a day to a maximum of 2300 mg a day, while children and seniors should eat less.

It is important for Canadians to remember that consuming too much sodium is a risk factor for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke and is also linked to other diseases such as stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney disease. 

As Minister of Health, I want to help Canadians avoid these health risks by promoting the adoption of a healthy diet that is low in sodium.

Canada's health ministers have all agreed to an average sodium intake goal of 2300 mg per day by 2016.

Reducing sodium is really about healthy eating. If we eat the right quantities of the right kind of foods, we will also be eating less sodium. Many Canadians are making healthier food choices and reading food labels now than they did several years ago. This is a step in the right direction.

There are several changes we can all make to eat healthier foods that are lower in sodium:

• Eat a healthy diet by following advice in Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide and the Nutrition Facts table.  These important tools will help you choose healthy foods that are lower in sodium, so you can eat the right amount of food from each food group.
• Prepare food with little or no added salt.
• Read nutrition labels to make informed food choices. Almost all prepackaged foods have a Nutrition Facts table, making it easier to see how much sodium is in any given food.
• Check the percentage of the Daily Value (%DV) for sodium in the Nutrition Facts table. The %DV tells you at a glance if there is a lot (15% DV or more) or a little (5% DV or less) of a nutrient in the stated amount of food.
• Eat more fresh foods prepared at home. Choose plenty of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.
• Eat fewer processed foods by limiting prepackaged foods and meals purchased outside of the home.
• Look for foods with claims such as "salt-free" (less than 5 mg of sodium per serving), "low in sodium" (140 mg of sodium or less per serving), or "reduced in sodium" (at least 25 percent less than the regular product).

Health Canada is working with the food industry to set targets for processed foods and will follow this up with targets for the restaurant and foodservice sector. We are also reviewing the nutrition labelling requirements, specifically the serving sizes shown in the Nutrition Facts table and the Daily Value for sodium. 

Health Canada has partnered with Food & Consumer Products of Canada on the Nutrition Facts Education Campaign to help Canadians better understand and use the Nutrition Facts table, and specifically the % Daily Value.  We are also developing public education and awareness activities to help Canadians make better food choices. 

If we all work together to make healthy eating and sodium reduction a priority, we will all benefit from better health while helping to reduce the burden on our health care system. 

Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
Government of Canada