Health Canada Sodium Working Group
On October 25, 2007, the Minister of Health announced that the Government of Canada would establish an expert Sodium Working Group [1][2] to explore options for reducing sodium intake and cardiovascular disease among Canadians.[3]
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)[1],[4] 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
Members
Member | Organization |
---|---|
Dr. Mary L'Abbé (Chair) | Health Canada |
Scientific and Health-Professional Community | |
Dr. Peter Liu | Canadian Institutes of Health Research |
Dr. Kevin Willis | Canadian Stroke Network |
Dr. Katherine Gray-Donald | Canadian Nutrition Society |
Dr. Susan I. Barr | Dietitians of Canada |
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 |
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 |
Government | |
Ms. Chantal Martineau | Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Health Canada |
Ms. Lianne Vardy | Public Health Agency of Canada |
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 |
Ms. Charmaine Kuran | Canadian Food Inspection Agency |
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.
Debate
There is some debate on the impact of sodium reduction upon
On the other hand, groups concerned with
Disbandment
On February 4, 2011, the Ottawa Citizen reported that the Health Canada Sodium Working Group had been disbanded.[17] The Group had been charged with tracking whether companies were reducing the level of salt in processed foods over the next five years. This follows actions in the United Kingdom to abolish the dietary mandate of the FSA (Food Standards Agency) the government unit most actively involved in salt reduction advocacy.
References
- ^ "Health Canada Tackles Cardiovascular Disease Through Development of Sodium Working Group". Highbeam.com. CCNMatthews Newswire. 2007-10-25. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2010-06-19.(subscription required)
- ^ "Health Canada forms sodium working group". Crfa.ca. 13 Nov 2007. Archived from the original on August 27, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
- ^ Health Canada News Release - 2007-151, October 25, 2007
- ^ "UK Leads The Way: Global Campaign Against Salt Launched By Medical Experts". Medicalnewstoday.com. 8 Oct 2006. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
- ^ "Members of the Working Group on Dietary Sodium Reduction". Health Canada. 2009-11-05. Archived from the original on 2010-01-30. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
- ^ Luft, F.C., Rankin, L.I., Block, R. et al. Cardiovascular and humoral responses to extremes of sodium intake in normal black and white men, Circulation, 1979; 60: 697–706.
- ^ Miller, J.Z., Weinberger, M.H., Daugherty, S.A. et al. Heterogeneity of blood pressure responses to dietary sodium restriction in normotensive adults, Journal of Chronic Diseases, 1987; 40: 245–250.
- ^ Luft, F.C., McCarron, D.A., Heterogeneity of hypertension: the diverse role of electrolyte intake, Annual Review of Medicine, 1991; 42: 347–355.
- ^ Alderman, M.H., et al., Low urinary sodium associated with greater risk of myocardial infarction among treated hypertensive men, Hypertension, 25, 1144-1152, (1995).
- ^ Alderman, M.H., et al., Dietary sodium intake and mortality: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I), Lancet, 351, 781-785, (1998).
- ^ Cohen, H., et al., Sodium intake and mortality in the NHANES II follow-up study, American Journal of Medicine, 119, 275, (2006).
- , May 18, (2008).
- ISSN 1470-8736).
- ^ Paterna, S., et al., Medium Term Effects of Different Dosage of Diuretic, Sodium, and Fluid Administration on Neurohormonal and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Recently Compensated Heart Failure, American J. Cardiol 2009;103:93–102.
- ^ Mattes RD, Donnelly D. "Relative contributions of dietary sodium source." Journal of the American College of Nutrition 1991;10(4):383-93.
- ^ Joffres MR, Campbell NRC, Manns B, Tu K. Estimate of the benefits of a population-based reduction in dietary sodium additives on hypertension and its related health care costs in Canada. Canadian Journal of Cardiology 2007;23(6):437-43.
- ^ Sarah Schmidt (February 4, 2011). "Sodium reduction panel disbanded". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved April 9, 2011.