Setting targets for a gradual sodium reduction program in Uruguay: comparison with regional benchmarks and analysis of reduction strategies

Food reformulation is widely recognised as a cost-effective policy to reduce sodium intake and improve public health outcomes. The objectives of the study were to: i) assess the sodium content of food products available in the Uruguayan market, ii) evaluate progress in achieving regional sodium reduction benchmarks; and iii) compare maximum targets and gradual percentage reductions considering potential effectiveness and sensory perception thresholds. Information about sodium content was extracted from the food labels of 4,719 products available at nine supermarkets. The median sodium content of the products was 389.3 mg/100g. When comparing median sodium content to the targets set by the Pan American Health Organisation for 2021, 32 of the 62 subcategories exceeded the established benchmarks, while 30 subcategories fell below them. Adopting regional targets would necessitate sodium reductions exceeding the 15% difference threshold for salty taste for a large proportion of products, potentially leading to noticeable changes in taste. At the aggregate level, percentage reductions were significantly more effective in reducing sodium content compared to maximum target strategies based on the 50th or 70th percentile. Results from the present work underscore the need to adapt regional targets for the development of a sodium reduction program in Uruguay.