On June 1, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the draft voluntary guidelines on sodium. The decision took into account a collaborative call to action from industry leaders, including Mars, and organizations such as the American Heart Association and American Public Health Association.

Mars applauds FDA for releasing its draft voluntary guidelines on sodium and we look forward to providing additional comments on the recommendations. At Mars, we have been working on reducing sodium in our products since joining the National Sodium Reduction Initiative in 2010.

The release of the draft voluntary guidance will drive a broader dialogue within the food industry and help inform consumers about the role sodium plays in their diet and overall health. After reducing sodium in our food products by 25% between 2007 and 2012, Mars Food recently announced that we will further reduce sodium by an average of 20% across our food portfolio by 2021.

FDA’s release of draft sodium reduction targets will help us further support healthier options for consumers and promote additional participation by all food manufacturers.

For more information about the FDA’s draft voluntary guidelines on sodium, please see: LINK