Reducing sodium in lunchmeat remains challenging, but deli processors have had success at minimizing the ingredient without affecting the final product.
Excess intake of sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases. In the U.S., cardiovascular diseases are the most expensive health issue, accounting for 17 percent of national health expenditures. It was estimated that with a 15 percent reduction in population sodium intake, over 10 years, 8.5 million deaths could be averted from cardiovascular-related deaths worldwide (Asaria et al., 2007).
In the U.S., roughly 80 percent of sodium is consumed in processed foods such as bread, canned soup, prepared ready-to-eat meals and lunchmeat products. The average sodium intake in the U.S. is approximately 3,400mg per day, which is almost 50 percent higher than the U.S. dietary guideline of 2,300mg per day. Because the current U.S. average sodium intake is much higher than the dietary guideline and the majority of sodium is consumed in processed foods, the U.S. food industry has undertaken an important task to reduce sodium in processed foods.