U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Sodium Intake Dataset
[Running time:  ~ 1:30]

Welcome and thanks for listening to focus on ag research from the Agricultural Research Service or A-R-S.  A-R-S is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency.
 
Trying to cut down on the amount of sodium we eat can be a challenge, especially when we’re dining out. While the majority of us consume more than the recommended daily amount, and most of that sodium comes from commercially processed and restaurant foods.
Reducing sodium in these foods is critical to lowering sodium amounts in our diets.

ARS has been working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to monitor key sodium-contributing foods. The group has launched an online dataset that lists more than twelve hundred foods, which contain added sodium.

The dataset includes foods commonly eaten by consumers, who responded to a national food-intake survey. Of these foods, more than 10 percent—125 items—contribute to high levels of dietary sodium. These particular foods also account for about one-third of the nation’s total adult sodium intake. 

To learn more about how you can use the online dataset to help reduce your sodium intake, visit AgResearch magazine at www.agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov.  

That’s our podcast for today.