1. 10-Step Guide to Reducing Sodium
in Food & Beverage Products

2. In advance of changing regulations that
could limit the amount of sodium used in
processed food, manufacturers should
be proactive in considering possible
sodium reduction strategies.
2©2013 Cargill, Inc.

3. The right product can help reduce,
replace or eliminate salt, lowering the
overall sodium content in your food or
beverage product without affecting
consumer appeal.
3©2013 Cargill, Inc.

4. Salt plays an important role in creating
high-quality foods and a thoughtful
approach must be taken to ensure any
changes to your product are met with
consumer satisfaction.
Consider the following steps to determine
the best solution for your business.
4©2013 Cargill, Inc.

5. 1. Identification
• Identify your goals, objectives and target audiences.
• What are the motives for developing a reduced sodium product?
• What are the expected sales and market share goals?
• Will a low-sodium product provide new market opportunities?
5©2013 Cargill, Inc.

6. 2. Know Your Competition
• Evaluate the competitive
landscape.
• Will you be first-to-market with your
new product?
• What reduced-sodium levels have
your competitors achieved?
• What is the position and price of
competing products?
• How is your product different?
6©2013 Cargill, Inc.

7. 3. Understand Sources of Sodium
• Identify natural sources of sodium in your
product, such as:
– Animal by-products
– Certain plants
• Consider additional ingredients that
contain sodium:
– Sodium nitrate
– Sodium benzoate
– Sodium bicarbonate
• Is sodium added at your facility or through
your supplier?
• All of these factors should be considered
in your plans.
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 7

8. 4. Set Targets for Sodium Reduction
• Set realistic targets.
• Can a target be reached without
significant compromise of product?
• Do you want to make a health
claim?
– Sodium Free: 5 MG or less of sodium
per serving
– Very Low Sodium: 35 MG or less
– Low Sodium: 140 MG or less
– Reduced Sodium: Normal level reduced
by at least 25%
– Unsalted or no salt added: only naturally
occurring sodium, none added during
processing
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 8
In order to make any of the above claims, a manufacturer must fully comply with the requirements set forth within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Title 21 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 101, Subpart D, Section 101.61 Nutrient content claims for the sodium content of foods, which are published on FDA’s website.

9. 5. Assess Your Sodium-Reduction Options
Will you:
• Reduce the amount of salt added
to the product formula?
• Replace some or all salt with a salt
substitute?
• Change sodium-containing
ingredients to non-sodium
versions?
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 9

10. 6. Consider the Pros and Cons
• Will the solution alter the taste
appeal of the product?
• Will buying behaviors be affected?
• Will shelf life be compromised?
• Will equipment be replaced to
implement the new formulation?
• Will consumers pay more for a
reduced-sodium product?
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 10

11. 7. Test, Test, Test
• Test beyond the lab with consumers
to ensure product has retained key
sensory qualities.
• Evaluate consumer acceptability
levels with reduced sodium claim.
• Test advertising and marketing
efforts to see how consumers react
to your messages and claims.
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 11

12. 8. Determine How to
Present the Introduction
• Should the reduced sodium formulation be
positioned as a new product or as a
reintroduction of a current product?
• Will you mention the reduction?
• Are you making a health claim?
• Answers to these questions will help determine
how to present your product.
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 12
?

13. 9. Evaluate Your Success
• Did your product introduction meet
or exceed sales goals?
• Is your positioning accurate for your
audience?
• Measure entire effort and assess
results in terms of changed
perceptions and desired purchase
behavior.
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 13

14. 10. Modify as Needed
• Monitor the consumer response to
the product.
• Watch trends to ensure product
satisfies the needs of the target.
• Track competitors and emerging
nutritional recommendations.
• Identify unanticipated reactions and
make needed refinements.
©2013 Cargill, Inc. 14

15. Through careful evaluation of these steps,
a successful sodium reduction strategy
can be developed.
15©2013 Cargill, Inc.

16. The type of salt matters.
And partnering with Cargill can provide
innovative concepts for the creation of
sodium-reduced products.