Don't Pass The Salt, Please

In 2019, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute under the Department of Science and Technology reported that nearly two out of 10 Filipino adults aged 20 and above suffered from elevated blood pressure. One of the risk factors contributing to this condition is the intake of too much sodium in the diet, often attributed to eating salty foods.

In response to this development, San Miguel Foods launched its Corporate Nutrition and Sustainability Guidelines in 2020 to improve its products’ nutrition profile and set the landscape for inclusive and sustainable nutrition in the country. Given the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 2,000 mg per day intake of sodium for adults, the Food Group set out its sodium threshold to 667 mg per serving of processed meats and processed dairy products.

The guidelines put a formal structure to sodium reduction efforts initiated as early as 2007. With the Filipinos’ penchant for patis (fish sauce), toyo (soy sauce), and dried fish, many of the Company’s processed meat products catered to this flavor profile. It was a challenge to reformulate products without significantly changing its taste. Moreover, as salt is a preservative, reducing it would also affect shelf life.

Among the early achievements was a 25% sodium reduction for Purefoods Fun Nuggets using a salt replacer technology. Since then, nine more products have been reformulated to reduce sodium content by 25% to 40% through a direct reduction of salt. These are Purefoods Pork Katsu, Purefoods Chicken Katsu, Higante Chicken Franks with Cheese, Tender Juicy Cheesy Spaghetti, Tender Juicy Cheesy Pizza, Purefoods Deli Spicy Pepper Beef Franks, Purefoods Chicken Sisig, STAR Corned Beef, STAR Corned Beef Chunky Cheese, and Purefoods Classic Honeycured Bacon.

The Company continues to improve the nutrient profile of its products in line with its commitment to responsible food production.

Other Related Stories