Bumble Bee becomes latest food co. to cut salt ahead of potential regulations

Food makers reduce sodium ahead of regulation

PORTLAND, Ore. — Bumble Bee Foods Inc. is the latest food maker to cut salt in its products as pressure builds from public health groups and federal regulators.

The tuna company said Wednesday that it has completed a multiyear reduction of salt in some of its key products: cutting sodium by 44 percent in its albacore products and 22 percent in its light meat products.

The lower-salt products will hit shelves next month.

The announcement comes on the heels of a report this week by the Institute of Medicine that urged the federal government to limit salt allowed in food, while the Food and Drug Administration stood by its plans to work with food makers on voluntary reductions.

“We’ve been focusing on health and wellness for several years,” said Chris Lischewski, president and CEO of San Diego-based Bumble Bee. “We’ve had high-protein, low-cholesterol, low-fat products, but there was only one negative stigma and that was sodium.”

Excess sodium contributes high blood pressure, which can increase the risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and kidney failure. An estimated one in three U.S. adults have high blood pressure.

Bumble Bee said there is a certain amount of salt naturally occurring in its fish products, as they are caught in the ocean, but like many other food companies it also adds salt for flavor.

Following these changes, the company’s albacore tuna will have 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving, down from 250 milligrams in 2008. Its light meat will fall to 180 milligrams from 250.

Government guidelines say people shouldn’t consume more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. But the IOM says people need just over 1,500 per day for good health and less if they are over 50.

Bumble Bee leaders said while its products are lower in sodium than many other packaged food makers, the company knew sodium was becoming a bigger issue in the public, health community and regulators’ minds and decided to voluntarily reduce its products now.

The majority of salt in American’s diets comes from processed foods and health groups have been urging food makers to cut the amount of salt in their products for some time. Food makers resisted, as salt is one of its major flavor components, but have recently reconsidered as pressure has built.

A report by the prestigious Institute of Medicine brought the issue back in the spotlight this week. The report criticized the food industry — saying it has made little progress in voluntarily reducing sodium and urged the government to set maximum levels for sodium in different foods to cut overall salt consumption.

The FDA said it supports the reductions made by many food makers and said it will be more thoroughly reviewing the recommendations from the report in the coming weeks. However, the FDA said it is not currently working on regulations nor has it decided to regulate sodium.

However, a number of major food makers, among them General Mills Inc., PepsiCo Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc, and Campbell Soup Co., have announced reformulated products in recent months to get ahead of any potential changes.

Food makers say they are trying to gradually reduce the sodium levels, making it a more palatable change to its customers and giving the industry time to reformulate products. Most said they support efforts to curb sodium in American’s diets but are waiting to see if the FDA takes any further action.