World Health Organization Releases Updated Sodium Reduction Guide

The World Health Organization released the second edition of its SHAKE the salt habit technical package today to help countries reduce high salt consumption. The package compiles evidence-based policies aimed at lowering average sodium intake, which exceeds twice the recommended limit of 2000 mg per day.

7 million deaths in 2023, primarily through hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Only 28 percent of the world population currently lives in countries with mandatory sodium reduction policies, and the world remains off track to meet the 30 percent reduction target by 2030.

The SHAKE framework organizes interventions under five categories: Surveillance, Harness industry, Adopt standards for labelling and marketing, Knowledge, and Environment. The updated edition adds guidance on managing conflicts of interest with the food industry and provides annexes on data collection and enforcement.

Specific measures include setting maximum sodium limits for pre-packaged foods, front-of-pack labelling, restrictions on marketing to children, taxation of high-sodium products, and promotion of lower-sodium salt substitutes. The package also covers food procurement policies for public settings and mass media campaigns.

"Excess salt consumption remains among the top preventable drivers of death globally, and implementing mandatory policies to reduce sodium intake is one of the most cost-effective actions countries can take to protect people from cardiovascular disease," said Dr Luz Maria De Regil, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO.

"The second edition of SHAKE offers a practical menu of measures that countries can readily apply, with clear, step-by-step guidance, and strong opportunities to scale up mandatory approaches to reduce persistently high salt intake across the region," said Xi Yin, Coordinator of the Health Promotion and Policy unit at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.

The package was launched during Salt Awareness Week 2026 and is intended to support coordinated national programs that transform food environments.