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MULTI-STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP (WG) ON DIETARY SODIUM REDUCTION

MAY 23, 2008, OTTAWA, ON

SUMMARY REPORT

PURPOSE OF THE MEETING

The chair, Mary L'Abbé welcomed WG members to Ottawa. She also highlighted the Minister of Health's commitment to the issue of dietary sodium reduction and acknowledged the contribution of Steering Committee members to meeting preparations.

The meeting objectives were to:

• finalize the Terms of Reference (TOR);
• build a common knowledge base among WG members through a series of presentations and question-and-answer sessions;
• identify and account for data gaps or other missing information in order to move to recommendations and decision-making; and,
• identify next steps.

The Report of the previous teleconference was approved as distributed.

KEY OUTCOMES OF THE MEETING WERE:

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The WG agreed to Terms of Reference to guide the group's work over the course of its mandate. Members also discussed and agreed on organizational issues such as consensus, alternates, communication, quorum. 

ESTABLISHING A COMMON KNOWLEDGE BASE

Presentations and discussions were held on the following topics:

• Current Sodium Intakes of Canadians, with a Focus on Food Sources, by Nora Lee (Food Directorate, Health Canada);
• Sodium Intakes of Canadians by Valerie Tarasuk, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto;
• The Functionality and Uses of Sodium in Food Products by Anna Shapiro (Food Directorate, Health Canada);
• Summary of International Initiatives by Michael Beer (Federal Office of Public Health, Berne, Switzerland and Visiting Scientist, Food Directorate, Health Canada); and,
• Summary of the Working Group on Sodium Reduction Data Gathering Questionnaire by Konstantinia Arvaniti (Food Directorate, Health Canada).

IDENTIFICATION OF DATA GAPS

Members identified key data gaps, with a focus on data that would be required to inform future policy interventions regarding dietary sodium. Members also agreed to prioritize its information needs, as well as to establish which can be drawn from existing data sets/analyses and which would require new data collection.

NEXT STEPS

• Working Group members to continue work on identification and prioritization of data gaps.
• The WG will meet again in the fall, likely between mid- September and mid- October. The meeting may take place over two days to allow for discussion with interested stakeholders.