Salt is necessary for life in the right proportions. In excess it can lead to hypertension and heart attacks. Salt also has an amazing ability to enhance the flavor of many foods which is partially why it is a favorite of food manufacturers. The majority of the excess salt in our diet comes from the salt added by food manufacturers. To help stem the rising tide of cardiac conditions and other ailments, the food industry is voluntarily reducing the amount of salt used in various products.
Below is a list of participating food companies.
It’s a good thing this is happening, however in some cases it will take up to 5 years for changes to take effect. Growing your own food when you can and buying and preparing food fresh enables one to assert more control over the amount of salt added to one’s food. Then there is no need to wait.

Boar’s Head

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture products in 14 categories and are currently meeting 10 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting at least 1 additional 2012 and 2014 category target.
* Additional statement: Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. is proud to say we already meet the 2012 NSRI targets in our core business categories; and we’ve been meeting these targets for the last 25 years.

Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. does not currently meet the targets for Uncooked Whole Muscle Meat (e.g. Fresh Corned Beef), Uncooked Sausage (e.g. Breakfast and Italian Sausage), or Soups. However, individual projects are underway to investigate sodium reduction opportunities for these categories. In addition, although we meet the category targets for the other food areas in which we participate, projects are underway to continue sodium reductions in individual products.

FreshDirect

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture/serve products in 18categories and are currently meeting 16 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 5 additional 2012 and 2014 category targets.
* Additional statement: FreshDirect is proud to join the National Salt Reduction Initiative, and is already preparing food with New York City’s health in mind. FreshDirect’s team of expert chefs and nutritionists develop the fresh, microwavable Smart & Simple 4-Minute-Meals that are under 500 calories and lower in fat and sodium. FreshDirect’s culinary health and wellness team also extends to 4-Minute-Meals created in partnership with New York City restaurant Tabla and EatingWell Magazine. All these great meals can be found in FreshDirect’s 500 Calories or Fewer section of its 4-Minute-Meals fresh microwavable meals department.

Goya Foods

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture products in 24 categories and are currently meeting 1 NSRI target. We are committed to working toward meeting 2 additional 2012 and 2014 category targets.
* Additional statement: Goya has pledged to bring one of its best sellers, our canned bean line, to meet 2012 and 2014 targets. We look forward to redoubling our efforts to reducing sodium and to maintaining flavor & quality in this key line. We believe that reducing sodium levels in this high volume line will reduce the public’s sodium intake and as a result improve health outcomes.

Our tomato sauce line already meets 2012 targets.

Our other lines are still under review, and we hope to make further commitments in the near future.

Hain Celestial

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture products in 34 categories and are currently meeting 16 NSRI targets. We are committed to work toward meeting 13 additional 2012 and 2014 category targets.
* The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., a leading natural and organic products company in North America and Europe supports the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) led by the New York City Department of Health and Human Hygiene. Hain Celestial has always been an advocate for healthy eating as part of our mission to support ‘A Health Way of LifeTM’.

We have completed preliminary sodium assessment on 34 categories and we believe that approximately 50% of categories represented by our products minimally meet 2012 NSRI targets.

Heinz

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. As the makers of America’s Favorite Ketchup and the largest manufacturer of Ketchup in the U.S., we are committed to reducing sodium by 15 percent across our base Ketchup line, which will put Heinz Ketchup below the 2012 NSRI target.
* Additional statement: As a global food company committed to health and wellness, Heinz is participating in the National Salt Reduction Initiative to demonstrate our leadership in sodium reduction. Heinz publicly announced on February 4, 2010, that it will voluntarily reduce sodium by 15 percent across the U.S. Heinz Ketchup base product line, starting May 1, 2010. The reduction will put the base line of Heinz Ketchup below the 2012 NSRI target.

Our commitment to reducing sodium extends beyond Heinz Ketchup. For example, in the U.S. Heinz has already reduced sodium in Bagel Bites frozen pizza snacks by more than 20 percent, which puts the product line below the 2012 target. In addition, our complete line of Classico red pasta sauces are below the 2012 targets.

Heinz will continue its efforts to substantially reduce sodium in its products and to meet targets where feasible while offering products that meet consumer expectations for quality and taste, as well as high food safety standards.

Kraft Foods

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture/serve products in 23 of categories and are currently meeting 2 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 1 additional 2012 and 2014 category target, which we have selected for illustrative purposes.
* Additional statement: We applaud the leadership that New York City has provided in working to reduce sodium, and support the intent of the NSRI, as Kraft Foods shares the goal of reducing sodium in food and is already working toward a 10% average sodium reduction across our NA food portfolio. This translates into more than 10 million pounds of salt from some of North America’s most popular foods. We are pleased to inform you that those plans should enable us to meet or exceed the 2012 sodium reduction targets in 50% of the relevant NSRI categories, which represents the large majority of the foods that we sell. For example, on Oscar Mayer bacon, our internal reduction target is more than double that of NSRI.

We would be delighted to publicly demonstrate our support for your plans. But beyond our example of Oscar Mayer bacon, we have not provided category by category details. As discussed on numerous occasions, we require the flexibility to implement our plans in a way that makes the most sense for our company. For us, that means working toward a total average reduction across our North American business. However, as can be seen by our overall sodium reduction plans, we recognize that working to reduce sodium in our products is the right thing to do for our consumers and for our business.

We look forward to working together to support the National Salt Reduction Initiative.

LiDestri.Foods

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture products in 2categories and are currently meeting 1NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 1additional 2012 and 2014 category target.
* Additional statement: We are currently meeting the 2014 NSRI target in the salsa category with our Spike’s Santa Fe Salsa line.

We are committed to meet both the 2012 and 2014 NSRI targets in the Major Main Entrée Sauce category with our Francesco Rinaldi pasta sauce line.

The Francesco Rinaldi brand has proudly offered a low sodium alternative in this category with our No-Salt Added Traditional Pasta Sauce, which has been available well over 10 years. Additionally, we have expanded our low-sodium offerings with our To Be Healthy line extension, which is comprised of 4 reduced-sodium pasta sauces.

We look forward to working towards the 2012 and 2014 NSRI targets and are proud to be part of this groundbreaking initiative.

Mars Food

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture/serve products in 4 of categories and are currently meeting 3 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 1 additional 2012 and 2014 category target.
* Additional statement: We, Mars Food US – including our category and nutrition leading brand, Uncle Ben’s®, and certified organic Seeds of Change® food and seed brand – remains committed to making healthful and great tasting products consumers can trust, and promoting healthy lifestyles through our products. This commitment compliments our broader, long-term health and nutrition strategy work. Mars Food US applauds Mayor Bloomberg and New York City for their leadership and continued efforts on the NSRI. We believe that sodium is one of many important health and nutrition issues, and that the success of the NSRI can serve as a model voluntary public/private partnership for future efforts on Health and Nutrition.

As part of our strategy work, which began in2008, we have lowered sodium in our flavored rice category in Retail & Foodservice (dry & microwavable flavored rice) channels, and have been successful in delivering up to 35% in some varieties. In 2010, Uncle Ben’s Retail segment launched Whole Grain White Flavored Rice which averages 540 mg/cup cooked serving. As part of our commitment to improving the quality of foods served in schools, we will this year launch an Uncle Ben’s® 100% Whole Grain flavored brown rice with an average sodium level of < 430 mg/cup cooked serving. The Mars Food US portfolio currently meets the NYC NSRI targets for pasta Seeds of Change® Pasta Sauce, Simmer Sauce & Salad Dressings. We’re committed in working towards meeting NYC NSRI targets for the Flavored Rice category for 2012 & 2014 as part of our ongoing work towards delivering healthful wholegrain and fiber options, which are currently deficient in the American diet.

McCain Foods

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture products in 7of categories and are currently meeting 3 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 2 additional 2012 and 2014 category targets.
* Additional statement: We have received your information regarding the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) and McCain Foods USA is pleased to join your agency’s efforts to reduce population sodium intake.

Our corporate target, which we set in advance of this initiative, is for a 10% sodium reduction per year for the next three years. We are happy to report that many of our current products are lower than the guidelines the NSRI has set for sodium levels in certain foods and we have also been proactive in lowering sodium in our products that are primarily consumed in schools.

We have attached our completed national Salt Reduction Initiative Company Commitment which contains additional information about our goals and our participation.

We look forward to working with you on this important process.

Red Gold

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture products in 6 of categories and are currently meeting 3 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 6 additional 2012 and 2014 category targets.

Unilever

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture for retail sale consumer packaged food products in 10 categories and are currently meeting 4 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 3 additional 2012 category targets.
* Additional Statement: Unilever has established category-based sodium targets for our products set to target a dietary intake of 2400 mg of sodium per day by the end of 2010, with the ambition to further reduce to 2000 mg sodium per day by the end of 2015. This is in line with World Health Organization Guidelines and corresponds with 6 and 5 grams salt per day, respectively. Unilever will continue, as we have in the past 5 years as part of our Nutrition Enhancement Program, to work toward reducing sodium levels in our products over time based on technical feasibility, product safety and consumer acceptability. Unilever is pleased to join the NSRI program as part of Unilever’s overall sodium reduction efforts.

White Rose

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We are currently meeting 3NSRI 2012 targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 33additional 2012 targets and 36 2014 category targets.

Company Commitments to NSRI Restaurant Targets
Au Bon Pain

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We serve products in 11of categories and are currently meeting 2 NSRI 2012 targets and 1 2014 target. We are committed to working toward meeting an additional 5 2012 and 6 2014 category targets.
* Additional statement: We applaud NYC on their National Salt Reduction Initiative and we want to be one of the first restaurant companies to formalize our support of and commitment to the initiative. Au Bon Pain has been a leader in providing healthy options to guests and this initiative is in keeping with that philosophy. At this point, we meet two of the targets but we are taking action to meet the 2012 goals in at least 5 others within 6 months and the remaining four that we are tracking, before the target date. While not among the targeted items, Au Bon Pain’s fresh fruit offering and Portions, our line of 200 or fewer calorie items, provide other lower sodium options for guests.

McCain Foods

* See information under Company Commitments to NSRI Packaged Food Targets

Starbucks Coffee Company

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We manufacture/serve products in 9 categories and are currently meeting 3 2012 and 2 2014 NSRI targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 1additional 2012 and 2014 category target
* Additional Statement: Providing wholesome options to our customers is a top priority for Starbucks. Our customers have told us they want food made with high-quality ingredients and simple recipes; they have specifically requested smaller portions and the removal of unnecessary ingredients. Beginning June 30, 2009, Starbucks improved the quality of our entire food menu while eliminating artificial flavors, artificial dyes and artificial trans fats. We have also removed artificial preservatives and artificial sweeteners wherever possible. And we have publicly committed to increase the scope of our wholesome food and beverage choices, continue to reduce calories, lower the levels of sodium in our food and make it easier for customers to find the healthier options in our stores.

SUBWAY®

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We serve standard/year round products in 8of categories and met 3 NSRI targets as of January 2009. We are committed to working toward meeting 4 additional 2012 and 2014 category targets.
* Additional statement: The Subway® restaurant chain is committed to reducing the sodium content of our sandwiches and menu items while ensuring that the quality and taste are not compromised. Over the last several years Subway® has taken several steps to reduce the overall sodium content of its menu items and is proud to have already met the sodium targets for several categories.

Uno Chicago Grill

* Date: April 2010
* Overall Commitment: We are committed to working toward meeting the NSRI targets through a transparent, public process. We serve products in 16 categories and are currently meeting 9 NSRI 2012 targets and 6 NSRI 2014 targets. We are committed to working toward meeting 6 additional 2012 and 9 additional 2014 category targets.

Note: NSRI baseline is January 2009.