US food group General Mills has announced that it will meet or exceed its sodium reduction goals in seven out of ten product categories by the end of this year.
In 2010, the company pledged to reduce sodium by 20% across more than 350 products, or one-third of its US sales volume.
It has now announced that the target has been attained in categories including savoury snacks and frozen pizza – where the reduction in sodium was most drastic – with only ready-to-serve soup, Mexican dinners and cereal falling short of the goal. In some cases, sodium was replaced with additional spices; in others, it was moved to the surface of food so it could be tasted more easily.
“Sodium reduction has been… [a] key focus of our continuing efforts to improve the health profile of our products,” said Maha Tahiri, General Mills chief health and wellness officer. “Reducing sodium is not a simple task and we knew the 20% target would be a challenge. I am proud to have exceeded our very aggressive goals in seven of our key ten categories, and to have come so very close in others.
“Taste is the main driver of food purchases – and we believe making repeated changes to accomplish a series of gradual reductions is the best way to continue to deliver the great taste consumers expect, while also supporting our commitment to the goal of reducing sodium intake in the American diet.”
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