By Sarah Klein
In a bid to lower the intake of salt in the diet of Canadians, Manitoba is working with other provinces and territories by contributing to a report on the reduction of sodium.
A joint report, “Reducing the Sodium Intake of Canadians: A Provincial and Territorial Report on Progress and Recommendations for Future Action,” was released Friday. It includes a commitment by the provinces and territories to reduce sodium intake to a population average of 2,300 milligrams per person, per day by 2016.
“Lowering our sodium intake is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle and can help reduce significant health problems, such as high blood pressure, strokes, heart and kidney disease,” said Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs Minister Jim Rondeau.
The report focuses on action in four key areas: lowering sodium in the food supply, awareness and education, research, and monitoring and evaluation.
The province noted that although Quebec contributed to the report, it does not subscribe to a Canada-wide strategy in this area.
