Health Canada Sodium Working Group
Encyclopedia
On October 25, 2007, the Minister of Health announced that the Government of Canada
would establish an expert Sodium
Working Group to explore options for reducing sodium intake and cardiovascular disease
among Canadians.
In announcing the creation of the Working Group, the Minister of Health said, "Through the formation of this working group, our Government is taking a major step in helping Canadians improve their health, and the health of their families."
The Working Group has met on several occasions to establish a common knowledge base and to develop strategies for reducing dietary sodium consumption among Canadians. The process that Health Canada is following is patterned after that carried out by the Food Standards Agency
in the UK – that is, no discussion of the science, but rather an immediate move to sodium reduction programs and policies. The concerns over salt are chiefly based upon its ability to affect blood pressure.
. The salt industry and some food and beverage producers emphasize the heterogeneous impact of sodium on individuals. For example, they observe that about 30% of normotensive individuals experience a drop in blood pressure, while about 20% of normotensive individuals experience an increase in blood pressure - the remaining population showing no effect. As a consequence, some argue that programs to reduce salt will not hold the same benefits for everyone and policies to arbitrarily promote salt reduction will discriminate against a certain segment of the population. They argue that an across the board reduction in dietary sodium may not be the right approach and the outcome may lead to unintended consequences for Canadian consumers.
On the other hand, groups concerned with cardiovascular health and nutrition
emphasize the overall negative effects of high levels of sodium
in the North American diet. Based upon a study carried out in the US in 1991 on a total of 62 people, the presumption made is that most of the sodium Canadians consume (77%) comes from processed foods sold in grocery stores and in food service outlets. Only about 11% is added during preparation or at the table, with the remainder occurring naturally in foods. And while the individual benefits of reducing sodium intake are variable, it has been theorized that dietary sodium reduction could eliminate hypertension
for over a million Canadians, with a resulting savings of at least 430 million dollars annually in direct high blood pressure management costs (although this has never been confirmed through clinical trials). In other words, while not all Canadians need to reduce their intake of dietary sodium, many have been urged to. Moreover,theoretical estimates have projected that we may be better off because of a possible reduction of tax-supported health care.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
would establish an expert Sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
Working Group to explore options for reducing sodium intake and cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
among Canadians.
In announcing the creation of the Working Group, the Minister of Health said, "Through the formation of this working group, our Government is taking a major step in helping Canadians improve their health, and the health of their families."
Reactions
Salt-reduction activist and member of the international salt reduction advocacy group WASH (World Action on Salt and Health)http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/, Dr. Norm Campbell, president of Blood Pressure Canada said,"This is a wonderful demonstration of the government's leadership in forming collaborations to improve the health of Canadians to prevent stroke, heart and kidney disease -- three of the major causes of death and disability in Canada," says. "Here we have everyone working together for common cause."
Focus
In establishing the Sodium Working Group, Health Canada included representatives from food manufacturing and food service industry groups, health-focused non-governmental organizations, the scientific community, consumer advocacy groups, health professional organizations and government representatives. The mandate of the Working Group was to develop and oversee the implementation of a strategy for reducing dietary sodium intake among Canadians.Members
| Member | Organization |
|---|---|
| Dr. Mary L'Abbé (Chair) | Health Canada Health Canada Health Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health.The current Minister of Health is Leona Aglukkaq, a Conservative Member of Parliament appointed to the position by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.-Branches, regions and agencies:Health Canada... |
| Scientific and Health-Professional Community | |
| Dr. Peter Liu | Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canadian Institutes of Health Research is the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada. It is the successor to the Medical Research Council of Canada. It aims to create new health knowledge, and to translate that knowledge from the research setting into real world... |
| Dr. Kevin Willis | Canadian Stroke Network Canadian Stroke Network The Canadian Stroke Network is a non-profit healthcare organization.- Research :CSN researchers are continually updating and expanding the Evidence-based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation , a remarkable resource that provides the most comprehensive and current review of the stroke rehabilitation... |
| Dr. Katherine Gray-Donald | Canadian Nutrition Society |
| Dr. Susan I. Barr | Dietitians of Canada Dietitians of Canada Dietitians of Canada is the professional organization and "nation-wide voice of dietitians in Canada". They claim to be the most trusted source of information on food and nutrition for Canadians. DC brings brings the knowledge and skills of its members together to informdecisions that affect... |
| Dr. Eric Young | Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health |
| Health-Focused and Consumer Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) | |
| Dr. Norm Campbell | Blood Pressure Canada |
| Ms. Bretta Maloff | Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada |
| Ms. Francy Pillo-Blocka | The Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition |
| Mr. Bill Jeffery | Centre for Science in the Public Interest |
| Dr. Nathalie Jobin | Extenso - Reference Centre for Human Nutrition |
| Food Manufacturing and Food-Service Industry | |
| Mr. Paul Hetherington | Baking Association of Canada |
| Ms. Mary Ann Binnie | Canadian Meat Council Canadian Meat Council The Canadian Meat Council is Canada's national trade association for the federally inspected red meat packers and processors. It is an industry trade group associated with the meat packing industry... |
| Mr. Don Jarvis | Dairy Processors of Canada |
| Ms. Phyllis Tanaka | Food and Consumer Products of Canada |
| Mr. Colin Farnum | Food Processors of Canada |
| Ms. Jeanne Cruikshank | Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors |
| Mr. Ron Reaman | Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association or CRFA is an industry and advocacy group organizing the Canadian restaurant, foodservice and catering industry.... |
| Government | |
| Ms. Chantal Martineau | Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Health Canada |
| Ms. Lianne Vardy | Public Health Agency of Canada Public Health Agency of Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness, and response and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention... |
| Ms. Nora Lee | Food Directorate, Health Canada |
| Ms. Lisa Forster-Coull | Federal Provincial Territorial Group on Nutrition |
| Ms. Patti Wunsch | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada The Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, also referred to as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada , is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for policies governing agriculture production, farming income, research and development, inspection, and the regulation of animals... |
| Ms. Charmaine Kuran | Canadian Food Inspection Agency Canadian Food Inspection Agency The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is a science based regulatory agency that is dedicated to the safeguarding of food, animals, and plants, which enhance the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy... |
The Working Group has met on several occasions to establish a common knowledge base and to develop strategies for reducing dietary sodium consumption among Canadians. The process that Health Canada is following is patterned after that carried out by the Food Standards Agency
Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food throughout the United Kingdom and is led by a board appointed to act in the public interest...
in the UK – that is, no discussion of the science, but rather an immediate move to sodium reduction programs and policies. The concerns over salt are chiefly based upon its ability to affect blood pressure.
Debate
There is some debate on the impact of sodium reduction upon blood pressureBlood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
. The salt industry and some food and beverage producers emphasize the heterogeneous impact of sodium on individuals. For example, they observe that about 30% of normotensive individuals experience a drop in blood pressure, while about 20% of normotensive individuals experience an increase in blood pressure - the remaining population showing no effect. As a consequence, some argue that programs to reduce salt will not hold the same benefits for everyone and policies to arbitrarily promote salt reduction will discriminate against a certain segment of the population. They argue that an across the board reduction in dietary sodium may not be the right approach and the outcome may lead to unintended consequences for Canadian consumers.
On the other hand, groups concerned with cardiovascular health and nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
emphasize the overall negative effects of high levels of sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
in the North American diet. Based upon a study carried out in the US in 1991 on a total of 62 people, the presumption made is that most of the sodium Canadians consume (77%) comes from processed foods sold in grocery stores and in food service outlets. Only about 11% is added during preparation or at the table, with the remainder occurring naturally in foods. And while the individual benefits of reducing sodium intake are variable, it has been theorized that dietary sodium reduction could eliminate hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
for over a million Canadians, with a resulting savings of at least 430 million dollars annually in direct high blood pressure management costs (although this has never been confirmed through clinical trials). In other words, while not all Canadians need to reduce their intake of dietary sodium, many have been urged to. Moreover,theoretical estimates have projected that we may be better off because of a possible reduction of tax-supported health care.