WHO global sodium benchmarks for different food categories

Book excerpt: The World Health Organization (WHO) has established the second edition of the global benchmarks for sodium levels in 70 food subcategories as part of WHO’s efforts in reducing the sodium intakes in populations. This is an updated edition of the first edition which was released in May 2021. The setting of global sodium benchmarks is a very important step to facilitate reformulation of food products which contributes to driving progress in sodium reduction. These global benchmarks are intended to be complementary to ongoing national and regional efforts to set sodium targets. Global sodium benchmarks are also intended to be useful for countries in setting national policies and strategies and for the ongoing dialogue between WHO and the private sector at the global level.