Vital signs: food categories contributing the most to sodium consumption - United States, 2007-2008.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional national survey analysis (NHANES)
What was done
Estimated daily sodium consumption and the specific food categories and sources contributing to intake using 2007–2008 What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dietary recall data from 7,227 US participants aged 2 years and older.
What was found
Mean daily sodium consumption was 3,266 mg, excluding table salt. Ten food categories accounted for 44% of total sodium intake: bread and rolls, cold cuts/cured meats, pizza, poultry, soups, sandwiches, cheese, pasta mixed dishes, meat mixed dishes, and savory snacks. For most of these categories, >70% of sodium consumed was from foods purchased at a store. Fast food and pizza restaurants accounted for 51% of sodium from pizza and 27% of sodium from poultry. Mean sodium intake per calorie was significantly higher for foods and beverages from restaurants and fast food/pizza establishments compared to stores.
Why it matters
This report establishes that excess sodium intake in the US is driven largely by commercially processed staple and restaurant foods rather than discretionary table salt, pointing to targeted product reformulation as a key public health strategy.
Limits
Dietary intake relied on self-reported recall, which is vulnerable to reporting bias and underreporting. Sodium added at the table was excluded. The cross-sectional design assessed intake at a single time point (2007–2008) without measuring objective biomarkers such as 24-hour urinary sodium excretion.
Cited by
- supports Bread and rolls are the number one source of dietary sodium in the Standard American Diet.