In 2010, CDC launched the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP) to reduce sodium intake by helping create healthier food environments at the local level. Five sites were funded to increase availability and access to healthy foods in communities and to monitor progress toward reducing the amount of sodium people eat.

Program Goals

Short-Term Goals (2–3 years):

• Increase the number of policies and programs that support reducing sodium intake in communities.
• Expand public health efforts to implement sodium-related policies, surveillance, and evaluation.

Long-Term Goals:

• Reduce sodium intake to within the recommended levels in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• Decrease average level blood pressure level and improve blood pressure control in the general population.

What Are Communities Doing?

Building on existing community policies to improve nutrition and lower blood pressure, each funded project supports implementation of at least one major sodium reduction policy strategy as well as media and evaluation activities. Examples of sodium reduction policy activities are outlined below.

California (Shasta County)

• Work with restaurants to implement sodium guidelines for menu items.
• Develop a Healthy Restaurant toolkit featuring sodium guidelines and recommend that the toolkit be a required part of the business licensing and renewal process.
• Work with local governments to establish a policy that sets sodium guidelines for foods sold in government facilities.
• Work with school districts to incorporate sodium reduction into menu items and sodium guidelines into local school wellness policies.

Los Angeles County

• Work with large food service venues in the county to implement system and environmental changes to reduce sodium content in foods.
• Work with the Los Angeles Unified School District to adopt and implement food policies to improve the nutritional content of school meals.
• Develop and establish the capacity to monitor menu labeling and sodium content in restaurant food throughout the county.

Kansas (Shawnee County)

• Work with city and county departments as well as private employers to adopt and implement procurement policies that lower the sodium content of foods sold or provided in work sites as well as promote practices that support healthy nutrition and sodium reduction.
• Work with convenience stores to develop and implement competitive pricing strategies to promote low-sodium foods and to increase fruit and vegetable purchases.

New York City

• Reduce the sodium content of foods purchased and served by New York City’s independent restaurants and work with suppliers to provide lower-sodium options.
• Create and implement food standards for retail food venues in New York City hospitals.

New York State

Broome County

• Increase availability, sales, and point-of-purchase labeling of lower-sodium products in county grocery stores and corner stores.
• Work with school districts to reduce sodium content of meals and develop wellness policies.

Schenectady County

• Reduce sodium content in meals served at senior centers and residential facilities as well as home-delivered meals for seniors.
• Increase sales of lower-sodium items at restaurants frequented by seniors.
• Lowering Sodium in Menu Items for Seniors—Schenectady County [PDF-289K]
  Success in Reduction of Sodium in Food

Resources

• CDC's Salt Web Site
• Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP) Overview [PDF-266K]
• Improving the Food Environment Through Nutrition Standards: A Guide for Government Procurement [PDF-653K]
• New Institute of Medicine Report Finds National Action Imperative to Reduce Sodium Content of Foods