Sampling of Company Announcements of Reduced/Lowered Sodium Foods
(June 2013)
Date
3/11/11
Brand
Anderson
Erickson
Dairy
Arby’s
Restaurant
Group
Armour®
Meats
Au Bon Pain
Product
Cottage
cheese
Boar’s Head
Brand
Boston
Market
Turkey Breast
8/21/12
Boston
Market
Signature
items; entire
menu
4/22/10
Bumble Bee
Foods Inc.
Tuna
6/28/10
Burger King
Corp.
11/15/10
Burger King
Corp.
11/29/11
Burger King
Corp.
Tendergrill
Chicken
Sandwich
Chicken
Tenders;
Ham; Ketchup
French Fries
6/31/2011
Butterball
9/28/11
11/1/11
2011
1/31/12
1/18/11
Children’s
meals
Pepperoni
Soups
Chicken,
gravy
Various
Action taken
Lowered sodium content in low-fat cottage cheese
product by 15% by using sea salt rather than common
table salt.
The new Kids Meals have reduced sodium by an average
of 50% compared to Arby’s previous Kids Meal offerings.
New all-natural sodium replacer allows Armour to reduce
sodium by 50% versus its regular pepperoni.
Reduce sodium by 15% in more than a dozen soups by
August; Au Bon Pain is also using chickens not injected
with saline and is “trying to figure out how to get some of
the salt out of their breads.”
Launched its new No Salt Added Oven Roasted Turkey
Breast. Contains 55 mg of sodium per 2 oz. serving.
Introduced new poultry gravy with 50% reduced sodium;
reduced sodium levels in “fresh, all-natural chicken” by
20%.
Announced removal of salt shakers from guest tables at all
476 locations. At the same time, the chain will unveil
plans to reduce sodium levels in its three signature items
— rotisserie chicken, macaroni and cheese, and mashed
potatoes — by 20% in the next six months. Will reduce
sodium levels by 15% menu-wide by the end of 2014. A
new sandwich bread being tested has 50% less sodium.
Reducing sodium content by 44% in albacore products
and by 22% in light meat products; Albacore tuna
products reduced to 140 mg or less from 250 mg; Light
meat products reduced to 180 mg from 250 mg.
New Ciabatta bun has lower sodium content than the
previously offered bun.
Chicken tenders reduced sodium by 30%; Ham reduced by
40%; Ketchup reduced sodium by 25%.
Launched new French Fry recipe with 20% less sodium
than previous recipe (thicker fries, reduced sodium, and
added a coating that makes them crisper and keeps them
hotter longer).
Butterball is a participant in the National Salt Reduction
Initiative (NSRI) and in June 2011 launched lower sodium
deli products as part of its Butterball Original Line;
Average sodium reduction across 18-product line is 10%.
Reduced sodium in three core items - Petite Roast, French
Cut and Reduced Salt Deli - an average of 20%.
Date
2/14/10
7/23/2011
Brand
Campbell
Soup Co.
Campbell
Soup Co.
Campbell
Soup Co.
Carl’s Jr.
4/19/2013
Chick-fil-A
N/A
Compass
Group North
America
Various
2/12/10
ConAgra
Foods Inc.
Various
9/16/11
Darden
Restaurants
Entire menu
7/22/10
Del Monte
Various
2/24/09
and 2012
Denny’s
Various menu
items
2/17/10
6/28/10
Product
V8 Vegetable
Juice
SpaghettiOs
Condensed
soups
Hamburger
buns
Various
Action taken
V8 Vegetable juice will now contain 420 mg of sodium per
8oz serving (a 12% reduction).
Lower the amount of sodium in SpaghettiOs canned pastas
by up to 35%.
Reduce sodium by 25-45% in 21 condensed soup
varieties.
Cut 20% of the sodium from its hamburger buns.
Chain is working to reduce sodium across its menu,
including a 40% sodium reduction in its chargrilled
chicken filet, 25% less sodium in bread, and 10% less
sodium in dressings and sauces.
Multi-level approach to sodium reduction through
ingredient sourcing, culinary techniques, nutrition
guidelines, and customer education and information.
Ingredient Sourcing: Shrimp from Sysco and Neptune
average 25% less sodium than previous supplier;
Schwan's pizza dough has 25% less sodium than typical
white crust options; New Initiatives: move to Tyson ham
resulted in an overall 20% sodium reduction; Continental
Mills brings new low-sodium commitments to 65% of core
dry mixes; Future: moving to Mitsui canned tuna will
result in a 44% sodium reduction.
Reduce sodium content of food products by 20% by 2015;
includes brands such as Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters,
Healthy Choice, Hunt’s, Hebrew National, Peter Pan, etc.
Reduction will affect as many as 20 brands and 160
products.
Plans to reduce sodium footprint by 10% in 5 years (by
2016) and 20% in 10 years (by 2021) in “items where it
has the greatest opportunity to make a difference based
on current sodium levels.” Children’s menu plan: improve
the nutritional content of one or more children’s menu
items to provide equal or less than 600 mg of sodium.
Initial proposed changes: 30% fewer calories and 35%
less sodium.
Reduced sodium by 20% across range of products
(vegetable, tomato, and broth products).
Reduced salt content in hash browns by 25%, cheese
sauce by 20%, and shrimp skewers by 25%; (New 2012)
Percent change sodium reductions since 2007 as follows:
Moons Over My Hammy (28%), Double Cheeseburger
(35%), Super Bird (11%), Spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt
(9%), The Grand Slamwich w/ hash browns (4%), French
Toast Slam (2 slices) (46%), Lumberjack Slam w/ hash
browns (16%), Hash Browns w/ onions, cheese, and
gravy (71%), Lemon Pepper Tilapia (47%).
Date
6/5/12
Brand
Disney
Product
Children’s
meals
7/14/09
Domino’s
“Smart Slice”
for schools
7/23/2012
El Torito
2/7/12
Foster Farms
Sauces and
marinades
Chicken corn
dogs
1/8/09
Frito-Lay
Lay’s,
Tostitos,
Fritos, Ruffles
4/15/10
and
1/14/12
General Mills
Various
10/14/12
General Mills
& Nestle
Children’s
breakfast
cereals
6/2013
General Mills
& Kellogg’s
Ready To Eat
cereal
products
3/2/12
Glory Foods,
Inc.
Various
products
Action taken
Announced it will reduce the amount of sodium by 25% in
the 12 million children’s meals served annually at its
theme parks.
“Smart Slice” is made with whole-grain crust, reducedsodium sauce, and reduced-sodium cheese. This slice will
have 600 mg of sodium compared to 920 mg in an original
slice.
Eliminated up to 30% of the sodium from sauces and
marinades.
New 100% Whole Grain, Lower-Fat, Lower-Sodium
Chicken Corn Dog for foodservice customers, with a full
serving of whole grain, 47% less fat, further reduced
sodium, higher fiber, zero trans-fat and fewer calories,
providing all the taste and quality of the original.
Introducing low-sodium version of most popular brands;
“Pinch of Salt” line will have 30-50% less sodium than the
original. (Discontinued “Pinch of Salt” line shortly after
introduction; “Lightly Salted” versions of Lay’s and Fritos
are currently available)
Cutting sodium by 20% in cereals, soups, snacks and other
products in its ten top-selling categories by 2015;
Reductions will affect approximately 600 products (40%
of GM products). Already reduced sodium content in
Cheerios and Honey Nut cheerios by 16%; some Progresso
soups by 25%; Chex snack mix by 36%; , Lucky Charms
has 10% less sodium than it had last year (2011). Since
2005, sodium has been reduced by at least 10% in 195
products, including: Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, 60
varieties of Progresso soup, more than 20 Hamburger
Helper products, most Totino’s pizza rolls, and 16 Muir
Glen tomato products.
Nestle S.A. and General Mills Inc. will cut sugar and salt in
the children’s breakfast cereals they jointly market
outside North America. They say they will reformulate 20
cereal brands popular with children and teenagers by
2015, boosting whole grains and calcium and aiming for
average reductions of 24% in sugar and 12% in sodium.
Between 2005 and 2011, sodium content in
approximately 140 ready-to-eat breakfast cereal products
manufactured by either Kellogg’s or General Mills declined
by 14%.
Reintroduced its lower sodium product line, Sensibly
Seasoned. The foods in this category have to meet the
American Heart Association food criteria for saturated fat
and cholesterol for healthy people over 2 years-of-age and
displays the heart-check mark on each can.
Date
9/21/10
Brand
Heinz
Product
Ketchup
8/10/11
Hormel
Beef chili
11/29/11
Hyatt Hotels
Children’s
meals and
general menu
12/10/12
John Morrell
Food Group
(subsidiary
of Smithfield
Foods)
Kikkoman
Franks
9/28/12
Kraft Foods
Inc.
North
American
portfolio
12/3/11
Mars Food
Corp.
Various
products
6/27/12
McCormick &
Company
Seasoning
mixes
1/24/10
and
6/23/11
Flavor
enhancers;
Soy Sauce
Action taken
Reducing sodium content by 15%. 2013 update: achieved
the 15% reduction to exceed the 2012 NSRI targets. Nosalt-added ketchup available; Made with “AlsoSalt” salt
substitute product.
In 2011, Hormel says it has cut sodium by 8% in a variety
of products, since 2008. It also pledges to “reduce sodium
on average by 15% from its entire portfolio by 2015.” In
2010, released new formulation of beef and bean chili that
contains 900 mg of sodium per serving.
By 2016, will reduce the sodium content of its food by at
least 10% across all food menus, with an endeavor to have
at least 50% of U.S. Hyatt properties meeting this standard
within three years.
Introducing Armour and John Morrell 40% Lower Sodium
Franks for food service operators. Using an all-natural
sodium alternative that allows for a one-to-one
replacement of salt.
Kikkoman announces a line of natural flavor enhancers
that are lower in sodium but “increase the salty
perception in foods.” Low-sodium soy sauce designed to
reduce sodium content by up to 50% in chilled and frozen
meals.
On track to complete a 3-year initiative to reduce sodium
by an average of 10% across N.A. portfolio by the end of
2012. Kraft claims to have already eliminated 14 million
pounds of salt (1 billion tsp.) from N.A. diet. Reduction
efforts include staples such as Kraft Grated Parmesan
Cheese, Breakstone’s 2% Cottage Cheese, and Oscar Mayer
Bacon (each had reductions of more than 10%). Other
products exceeded this goal: Kraft Original BBQ Sauce
(40%), Kraft Easy Mac Cups Original and Triple Cheese
(30%), Teddy Grahams Honey Graham Snacks (25%),
Oscar Mayer Deli-Fresh Smoked Ham and Oscar Mayer
Beef Bologna (25%), Kraft Singles American Slices (18%).
So far, Kraft has reduced sodium in more than 1,000
stock-keeping units (SKUs) in 24 different product
categories.
Reducing sodium levels in Mars Food’s products globally
by 25% by 2015, from a 2007 baseline. Reduced sodium
in UNCLE BEN’S® BISTRO EXPRESS® flavored rice
products by up to 55% between 2006 and 2009. In early
2010, began working to reduce the sodium content of
UNCLE BEN’S® BISTRO EXPRESS® Entrees by 30% to
45% and expect to launch these products early in 2012.
McCormick For Chefs has introduced a full line of Lawry’s
Classic Entree Seasoning Mixes that contain 500 mg of
Date
Brand
Product
Action taken
sodium or less per package recipe serving. Products will
begin shipping in July 2012.
11/1/11 to
9/19/12
McDonald’s
Chicken
McNuggets;
All food
products
12/14/11
Moe’s
Southwest
Grill
Entire menu
12/20/12
Mondelez
International
Crackers and
Cookies (Ritz,
Triscuits,
Oreos)
10/26/10
Nestlé
Various
1/7/09
Pepperidge
Farm
Breads
3/23/10
PepsiCo
Various
2/20/13
Qdoba
Rice
4/14/10
Sadler’s
Barbecue
products
12/2/08
Sara Lee
Corp.
Deli meats
By 2012, Chicken McNuggets will have 10% less sodium
than before, which is 23% less than they did in 2003. By
2015, plan to reduce sodium by 15% across national menu
of food products (no beverages). Reduced the sodium
across the national menu of food choices by 11.3%, since
early 2011.
Over the past 2.5 years, Moe’s has worked to reduce the
sodium content of its entire menu by 50%. They have also
used a sodium replacer (KCLean) along with other
methods. KCLean is 50% salt and 50% of altered
potassium chloride.
Company is committed to reducing the amount of salt in
its crackers and cookies. Mondelez has reduced the
sodium levels in the original Ritz crackers by about 1520% from where they were when they were first
introduced in the market. 33% sodium reduction in
Nabisco’s Teddy Grahams Honey flavor graham snacks
(150 mg to 100 mg per serving).
Multi-brand initiative to decrease sodium content in
selected products by 10% by 2015.
Sodium content reduced by 25-60 mg per slice in 8
varieties of bread. In 2010, reduced sodium by 25% in 84
products. By February 2011, 80% of designated PF
products will be 25% lower in sodium than regular
counterparts (includes breads, rolls, and bagels).
Developing “low-sodium salt” to decrease sodium content
in salty snacks within 5 years. Goal is to decrease sodium
content by 25% in salty snacks such as Lay’s potato chips
within 5 years.
Addition of brown rice to the nationwide menu to offer a
healthier option to its customers. A serving of brown rice
has 250 mg of sodium compared to the 390 mg in cilantrolime white rice.
Reduced sodium by 13-52% in Dinner for Two line
(includes pork loin and beef brisket dinners) by using sea
salt instead of refined salt. Slow Roasted Meals line will
feature low sodium entrees with 360-600 mg of sodium.
Roasted turkey will contain 40% less sodium, chicken
breast will contain 42% less sodium, and honey ham will
contain 36% less sodium. In 2009, introduced lower
sodium honey ham, oven roasted turkey breast, roast beef,
and oven roasted chicken breast. In 2010, announced
reducing sodium content in various food products by an
average of 20% over 5 year period.
Date
3/17/10
Brand
Sargento
4/28/10
2/9/11
Schwan Food
Co.
Smithfield
7/13/11
Sodexo
9/22/10
StarKist
4/19/2011
and
2/11/13
Subway
11/9/10
Taco Bell
1/10/12
Tennessee
Pride
Tim Horton’s
4/3/13
4/12/12
Tropical
Smoothie
Café
Product
Cheese
Action taken
New line of cheeses for cooking and snacking will have
25% less sodium (includes slices, snack sticks, string
cheese, and shredded cheese)
School pizzas Reduced sodium content by 10% in pizzas sold in school
lunches.
Marinated
Reduced sodium levels in marinated pork category by an
pork
average of 25.5%. Smithfield has also reduced its sodium
content across other processed meat categories by an
average of 8.2% and plans to continue its company-wide
lower sodium initiative across all product categories over
the next 3 years.
Various
Sodexo has defined 3 key corporate priorities, one of
recipes at
which is nutrition and wellness. Specifically, they have
client sites
decided to “provide and promote choices with a reduced
intake of sugar, salt, and fats at all clients’ sites by 2015.”
To complete the corporate goal, they will do the following
at client sites: recipe and menu development to include
sodium-free/reduced sodium initiatives and options;
reduce the average amount of sodium in the top 100
recipes by 25% over the next 2 years and by 50% over the
next 5 years; reduce added salt and increase usage of taste
enhancers like herbs as alternatives; and implement
nutritional software.
Tuna pouches Introducing low-sodium tuna in pouches with 75% less
sodium.
Various
Sodium content in “Fresh Fit” sandwich line will be cut by
28%. Sodium content in overall sandwich line will be cut
by 15%. Sodium content in Subway Club sandwich was
reduced by 32% per serving and Italian B.M.T. sandwich
now contains 27% less sodium. Example: sodium in a 6inch ham sandwich will drop from 1,260 mg in 2009 to
830 mg. This measurement excludes extras like cheese,
pickles, olives, and dressing. 2013: Average percent
sodium reductions since 2008: 32% in low-fat subs and
28% in all-day part subs.
Various
Menu with 23% less sodium tested in 150 restaurants. By
the end of 2011, Taco Bell will have reduced sodium
across the board by 33%. As of July 2011, 20% of the
sodium had been cut from its entire menu.
Sausage
Introduced a new line of reduced sodium sausage patties
that have 40% less sodium and no MSG.
Various
Since 2007, the company has reduced sodium by 31% in
its soups, 49% in deli meats, 22% in muffins, 15% in hot
beverages, and 10% in chili.
Chicken based Announced a 40% reduction of sodium in all chicken
menu items
based menu items.
Date
11/7/11
Brand
UFood
Restaurant
Group, Inc.
4/22/2009
and
2/11/2013
Unilever
1/20/11
Walmart
1/7/09
Yum! Brands,
Inc.
Product
Breaded
chicken meals
Action taken
Reduced sodium by 20% in all of its breaded chicken
menu items. These menu items include the Crispy Chicken
Chopped Cobb Salad, Chicken Parmigiana Wrap and the
kids’ Oven Crisped Chicken Fingers Meal. All of UFood’s
breaded chicken items are baked, not fried.
Various; Pasta Aim to reduce sodium content of products by end of 2010.
Sauce
This is not a strictly new initiative for the food giant as in
2003 a group assembled by Unilever (which included
Heinz, Baxter’s, Campbell’s and Pataks, with the support of
the food industry’s trade association, the Food & Drink
Federation) committed to a three-year program, with the
aim of reducing salt by 10% in 2003. This was to be
followed by similar reductions over the next two years
and subject to consumer acceptance. For Compass Group,
Unilever has reduced sodium by 10% on average in core
dressings and up to 31% in gravies and sauces. WishBone salad dressing – has reduced sodium in all varieties
by 4-37%. 2010: Knorr Side Dishes – Sodium was reduced
by 25% in Knorr’s top Side dishes in the U.S.; 2012: Knorr
Soup du Jour line reduced sodium from 1,004 mg in
2008/2009 to 667 mg. 2013: Ragu - Reduced the sodium
in its Old World Style Traditional Tomato Sauce by 20%
per serving (about 480 mg), and Ragu Chunky, Organic,
and Robusto varieties were reduced to 480 mg.
Various
Reformulating thousands of everyday packaged food
packaged food items by 2015 to reduce sodium 25%. 2012: Reduced
items and
sodium in Great Value ketchup by 15%; reduced sodium
Great Value
in Great Value canned vegetables, such as corn, green
products
beans, and carrots, by an average of 15%; and reduced
sodium in fresh steaks, roasts and certain other cuts
(muscle) of beef by more than 70%. As of January 2013,
Walmart has reduced sodium across target categories by
9% since 2008 and made a new goal to reduce sodium by
25% by 2015.
KFC, Taco
Reducing sodium in menu items at U.S. outlets. By end of
Bell, Pizza Hut 2012, all have made significant reductions in sodium
levels.