We recently reached out to Neha Chatterjee, a research & development scientist specializing in formulating and developing protein-rich foods. We asked her to discuss U.S. salt consumption and salt-related health topics. Read what she has to say here. The views expressed are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer Glanbia, a global nutrition company.
What is the current state of salt consumption in the U.S.? Have intake levels been rising or declining in recent years?
The short answer is Americans are still eating way too much salt, and that hasn’t really changed. The national average sits at around 3,400 mg/day, which is nearly 50% over the recommended 2,300 mg limit. Data from 2003 show that 86–89% of adults have consistently exceeded that threshold. So, despite all the awareness campaigns and label changes, the needle just hasn’t moved much at the population level. Intake has been essentially stable where it is not really rising, but not declining either.
From a food science perspective, that’s not surprising. Salt isn’t just a flavor enhancer, it plays critical functional roles in food processing, controls microbial growth, affects dough structure in baked goods, improves moisture retention in meats, and influences texture in everything from cheese to canned vegetables. Those functions are deeply embedded in how our food supply is manufactured, which is part of why reducing salt content at scale is so technically challenging.
Are Americans being encouraged to consume more or less salt amid changing dietary recommendations, and the potential health implications of these shifts?
Not by any serious scientific body, no. You’ll see contrarian takes floating around online, but the mainstream guidance from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the CDC, the AHA — has only gotten more emphatic about reducing intake. The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee doubled down on this, flagging that sodium intake is too high across every age group. The science connecting excess sodium to high blood pressure and heart disease is strong and well-established. If anything, the guidance is getting clearer, not looser.
How is excess sodium intake impacting long-term health outcomes across different populations?
Older adults, people with hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease are especially sensitive to sodium’s effects on blood pressure. About half of the people with high blood pressure see a significant spike when their sodium intake goes up.
But there’s also a socioeconomic dimension that doesn’t get enough attention. Over 70% of the sodium Americans consume comes from processed and prepared foods, and those tend to be the cheapest, most accessible options in underserved communities.
So, the people most at risk often have the least control over what they’re eating. Heart disease and stroke are both closely tied to excess sodium and remain the leading causes of death in the U.S.
Are food manufacturers moving toward reducing salt in products or are recent policy shifts influencing a different approach?
The FDA has been taking a phased approach, which is voluntary sodium reduction targets for food manufacturers. The first round in 2021 aimed to get the average down to 3,000 mg/day. A second round of draft targets came out in 2024, pushing toward 2,750 mg/day. It’s progress, but it’s slow. Public health groups have been vocal that the pace isn’t aggressive enough.
From a formulation standpoint, the industry has tools available for this. Potassium chloride blends, yeast extracts, and flavor-masking agents can help bridge the taste gap when sodium is reduced.
One thing to keep in mind is that reformulation doesn’t work the same way for all products. What works in a cracker doesn’t necessarily work in a fermented product or a cured meat, where salt is doing heavy lifting for safety and shelf stability.
The companies willing to invest in R&D are making real progress, but smaller manufacturers often lack the resources to reformulate without compromising product quality or safety.
Biography:
Neha Chatterjee is a research & development scientist at Glanbia, specializing in formulating and developing protein-rich foods, including dairy and plant-based products. She holds a master’s degree in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where her research focused on microbial systems and food safety. With experience spanning high-protein snacks, cereals, and frozen desserts, her work emphasizes clean-label formulation, functionality, and scalability.
Glanbia is an Ireland-based global nutrition company, focused on delivering high-quality ingredients and consumer products in the areas of dairy, health, and performance nutrition.
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