The Salt Institute has supported listing the salt or sodium content of foods as part of the ingredient labels and, since the early 1980s, disclosing the amount of sodium on nutrition labels. The Institute feels that the U.S. FDA's labeling rules give undue prominence of the sodium listing on the Nutrition Facts label, feeling this essential mineral should be listed with the other minerals, potassium and calcium, rather than the macronutrients, fat and calories. Likewise, the Institute has objected to FDA's creation of a "Reference Daily Intake" level for sodium, feeling that consumers would mistakenly believe the "RDI" reference number to be a recommended intake level. Finally, the Institute has steadily opposed FDA's authorization of a "health claim" for "sodium and hypertension" as unjustified by the science. Sodium content labeling serves a valuable role in providing consumers with factual and objective information to aid consumer food choices. When the label is asked to promote policy choices inconsistent with science, this additional information is a disservice to consumers. Our full statements to regulatory agencies on labeling issues are online ( 1 2 3 ).
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