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Title: Sodium content of foods contributing to sodium intake: A comparison between selected foods from the CDC Packaged Food Database and the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

Author
item MAALOUF, JOYCE - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States
item COGSWELL, MARY - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States
item YUAN, KEMING - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States
item Martin, Carrie
item GILLESPIE, CATHLEEN - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States
item Ahuja, Jaspreet
item Pehrsson, Pamela

Submitted to: Procedia Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/16/2015
Publication Date: 6/26/2015
Publication URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211601X15000784
Citation: Maalouf, J., Cogswell, M.E., Yuan, K., Martin, C.L., Gillespie, C., Ahuja, J.K., Pehrsson, P.R. 2015. Sodium content of foods contributing to sodium intake: A comparison between selected foods from the CDC Packaged Food Database and the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Procedia Food Science. 4:114-124.

Interpretive Summary: Reducing the sodium content in commercially processed and packaged foods and beverages commonly purchased by U.S. consumers can contribute to reducing the overall sodium intake, hypertension, and subsequently, heart disease and stroke. Sentinel Foods are identified by USDA to be monitored as primary indicators to assess the changes in the sodium content of commercially processed items from stores and restaurants. The amount of sodium in 23 of 125 Sentinel Foods in the 2009 CDC Packaged Food Database (PFD) was compared to that in the USDA’s Standard Reference (SR) 26 database. The mean sodium concentrations of 17 of the 23 (74%) selected foods in the CDC PFD were 90%-110% of the mean sodium concentrations in SR 26 and the difference was statistically significant for 6 Sentinel Foods. The sodium concentration of most of the Sentinel Foods, as selected in the PFD, appeared to represent the sodium concentrations of the corresponding food category. The results of our study help improve the understanding of how nutrition information compares between national analytic values and the label and whether the selected Sentinel Foods represent their corresponding food category as indicators for assessment of change of the sodium content in the food supply.

Technical Abstract: The sodium concentration (mg/100g) for 23 of 125 Sentinel Foods were identified in the 2009 CDC Packaged Food Database (PFD) and compared with data in the USDA’s 2013 Standard Reference 26 (SR 26) database. Sentinel Foods are foods and beverages identified by USDA to be monitored as primary indicators to assess the changes in the sodium content of commercially processed items from stores and restaurants. Overall, 937 products were evaluated in the CDC PFD, and between 3 (one brand of ready-to-eat cereal) and 126 products (white bread) were evaluated per selected food. The mean sodium concentrations of 17 of the 23 (74%) selected foods in the CDC PFD were 90%-110% of the mean sodium concentrations in SR 26 and the difference was statistically significant for 6 Sentinel Foods. The sodium concentration of most of the Sentinel Foods, as selected in the PFD, appeared to represent the sodium concentrations of the corresponding food category. The results of our study help improve the understanding of how nutrition information compares between national analytic values and the label and whether the selected Sentinel Foods represent their corresponding food category as indicators for assessment of change of the sodium content in the food supply. Reducing the sodium content in commercially processed and packaged foods commonly purchased by U.S. consumers can contribute to reducing the overall sodium intake, hypertension, and subsequently, heart disease and stroke.