In a CDC study spanning three regions of the United States, researchers found that fewer than half of U.S. grocery-store products in most food categories met Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sodium-per-serving conditions for labeling as a "healthy" food.
Researchers analyzed 2009 product sales for US grocery stores from three of the nine U.S. census divisions - South Atlantic, East North Central, and Pacific - representing approximately 50 percent of the US population. These regions were chosen to reflect places with high (South Atlantic), medium (East North Central), and low (Pacific) rates of hypertension (high blood pressure, which is linked to high sodium consumption).
According to the study, more than 70 percent of pizzas, pasta mixed dishes, and meat mixed dishes and 50 percent to 70 percent of cold cuts, soups, and sandwiches exceeded FDA "healthy" labeling standards for sodium, whereas less than 10 percent of breads, savory snacks, and cheeses did. There were few differences between the three regions studied.
"(T)hese data support recent findings that suggest that meeting sodium recommendations may be difficult in the current food environment," the researchers conclude. "Because many of the top-selling packaged food products in each region were national brands, regional variation in sodium contend of available products may be limited."
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