Impact of the UK voluntary sodium reduction targets on the sodium content of processed foods from 2006 to 2011: analysis of household consumer panel data.

Objective: In 2006 the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) introduced voluntary sodium reduction targets for more than 80 categories of processed food. Our aim was to determine the impact of these targets on the sodium content of processed foods in the UK between 2006 and 2011.

Method: Household consumer panel data (n>18,000 households) were used to calculate crude and sales-weighted mean sodium content for 47,337 products in 2006 and 49,714 products in 2011.

Sodium content of processed foods in the United Kingdom: analysis of 44,000 foods purchased by 21,000 households.

Background: In the United Kingdom, sodium reduction targets have been set for a large number of processed food categories. Assessment and monitoring are essential to evaluate progress.

Objectives: Our aim was to determine whether household consumer panel food-purchasing data could be used to assess the sodium content of processed foods.