Packaged Food
The NSRI has developed targets to guide company reductions in the salt levels in 62 packaged food categories ranging from breakfast cereal to canned soup. The initiative includes voluntary two- and four-year targets for average salt levels in each category of food. The categories and targets grew out of a yearlong series of technical meetings with food industry leaders. Some popular products already meet these targets - a clear indication that they are achievable. When a company signs onto the initiative, it pledges that its overall sales in a given category - bacon, for example - will meet the relevant target for salt content, even if some individual products don't. A company selling three equally popular lines of crackers could keep one of them salty as long as its overall cracker sales meet the target. If manufacturers work in tandem to reduce average salt content, consumers will enjoy the health benefits without a noticeable difference in taste.
Company Commitments to the NSRI Packaged Food Targets
The NSRI applauds the companies that have committed to reduce salt in their products to meet the NSRI packaged food targets and encourages all manufacturers, supermarkets, foodservice companies, and other food companies to follow their example. The following companies have agreed to pursue one or more NSRI targets for packaged food:
- Black Bear European Style Deli
- Boar’s Head Provisions Co.
- Butterball
- Campbell Soup Company
- Delhaize America
- Dietz & Watson
- FreshDirect
- Furmano’s
- Goya Foods
- Hain Celestial
- Heinz
- Hostess Foods
- Ken’s Foods
- Kraft Foods
- LiDestri Foods / Francesco Rinaldi
- Mars Food US
- McCain Foods
- Premio
- Red Gold, Inc.
- Snyder’s-Lance, Inc.
- Target Corporation
- Unilever
- White Rose
If you are a food manufacturer and would like to learn more about how to participate in the NSRI, please email salt@health.nyc.gov.
See more detailed information in the NSRI Corporate Commitments and Comments Table (PDF)
Category and Target Development
Categories correspond to those generally recognized by consumers and industry. The foods in each category have similar potential for salt reduction. Sodium levels for the category targets are expressed in milligrams per 100 grams (not per serving) so that products share a common metric.
The final targets have been adjusted in response to comments received.
NSRI Commitment Process
The NSRI encourages packaged food manufacturers to commit to as many targets as possible. Participating companies agree to “work toward meeting the NSRI targets” in specific food categories, “through a transparent, public process.” In addition:
- The NSRI website will publicly recognize companies that agree to work toward salt-reduction targets.
- Each commitment indicates that a company will work to meet the NSRI target for a particular food category by a specified date. Companies can meet targets without eliminating all high-salt products. The goal is sell a mix of products that, when weighted for sales volume, has an average sodium level at or below the NSRI target.
- Companies can make commitments in all or some of the categories in which they sell products. The NSRI encourages companies to pursue as many targets as possible.
For more information about committing to the NSRI targets, please email salt@health.nyc.gov.
