Switching the world's salt supply-learning from iodization to achieve potassium enrichment
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Sodium is an essential dietary component, but excess sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Many national and international bodies, including the World Health Organization, have advocated for population-wide sodium reduction interventions. Most have been unsuccessful due to inadequate sodium reduction by food industry and difficulties in persuading consumers to add less salt to food. Recent research highlights potassium-enriched salt as a new, feasible, acceptable, and scalable approach to reducing the harms caused by excess sodium and inadequate potassium consumption. Modeling shows that a global switch from regular salt to potassium-enriched salt has the potential to avert millions of strokes, heart attacks, and premature deaths worldwide each year. There will be many challenges in switching the world's salt supply to potassium-enriched salt, but the success of universal salt iodization shows that making a global change to the manufacture and use of salt is a tractable proposition. This in-depth review of universal salt iodization identified the importance of a multisectoral effort with strong global leadership, the support of multilateral organizations, engagement with the salt industry, empowered incountry teams, strong participation of national governments, understanding the salt supply chain, and a strategic advocacy and communication plan. Key challenges to the implementation of the iodization program were costs to government, industry, and consumers, industry concerns about consumer acceptability, variance in the size and capabilities of salt producers, inconsistent quality control, ineffective regulation, and trade-related regulatory issues. Many of the opportunities and challenges to universal salt iodization will likely also be applicable to switching the global salt supply to iodized and potassium-enriched salt.
Date Issued
2024-01-01
Date Acceptance
2023-11-14
Citation
Advances in Nutrition, 2024, 15 (1)
ISSN
2161-8313
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Journal / Book Title
Advances in Nutrition
Volume
15
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Society for Nutrition. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37977326
PII: S2161-8313(23)01432-1
Subjects
implementation scale-up
potassium-enriched salt
public health
salt iodization
salt substitute
salt supply
sodium reduction
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
100148
Date Publish Online
2023-11-15