Excessive salt consumption increases the risk of hypertension, the leading cause of stroke and ischemic heart disease. Salt Awareness Week reminds us of the adverse effects of excessive salt consumption and draws attention to the unnecessary levels of salt in the foods we eat every day. We encourage the public to play their part and make simple changes to their diet and shopping habits. Five steps to achieving 5 grams are outlined, which are five simple actions to reduce salt consumption. Additionally, there are population-level interventions that governments can implement to support informed purchasing and eating decisions.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) supports Salt Awareness Week (celebrated from May 12 to 18) and joins the international community's efforts to promote policy actions to reduce salt intake in the Americas and protect public health. In many countries, up to three-quarters of sodium is found in processed and ultra-processed products such as sauces, dressings, processed breads, cookies, crackers, ready-to-eat meals, processed meats, and cheeses. An effective way to reduce the population's sodium intake is to reduce the sodium content of frequently consumed foods and implement other regulatory actions that support the population in making informed purchasing decisions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) presents “SHAKE 2.0: Less Salt, More Health: A Guide for Program Design,” providing a strategic framework aimed at reducing sodium intake from all sources, including packaged foods, foods consumed away from home, and discretionary salt. This new version of the SHAKE technical package describes the necessary steps and considerations for preparing, developing, implementing, monitoring, auditing, and evaluating effective interventions and policies. Although the SHAKE acronym has been retained, it does not correspond to specific sections; instead, it presents and updates data for impact and monitoring, as well as updates interventions that align with WHO guidelines and best practices.
This webinar presents an overview of the SHAKE 2.0 technical package and country experiences in implementing regulatory and social marketing interventions for sodium reduction.
- Submit a review of “SHAKE 2.0, Less Salt, More Health. A Guide to Program Design.”
- To share experiences from countries in the Americas region in implementing mandatory policies and social marketing strategies for sodium reduction.
As part of Salt Awareness Week 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) organized a webinar that brought together experts, health authorities, and civil society representatives to share experiences, strategies, and progress in reducing sodium consumption in the Americas.
With more than 650 participants from around the world, the event opened with welcoming remarks that highlighted the urgency of reducing salt consumption as an effective measure to reduce hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Currently, average salt consumption in the region is double the WHO recommendation, which sets a maximum of 5 grams per day.
During the webinar, the new WHO-sponsored sodium reduction technical package, "SHAKE 2.0," was presented. It includes cost-effective measures such as:
- Mandatory reformulation of food products.
- Front-of-pack nutritional labeling.
- Regulation of the marketing of high-sodium foods.
- Use of safer salt substitutes.
- Awareness campaigns in the media and public settings (schools, hospitals, restaurants).
The efforts of several countries, such as Argentina, Paraguay, and Colombia, which have already implemented mandatory sodium limit policies for processed foods, were highlighted. Argentina, in particular, presented concrete results from its monitoring system, which demonstrated significant progress in product reformulation and compliance with current regulations.
In addition, the challenges facing public health policies in the face of food industry interference were addressed, and tools were offered to strengthen the governance and sustainability of interventions.
The event concluded with a call to intensify multisectoral actions, foster national leadership, and move toward a healthier food environment, where sodium reduction is a shared priority for improving population health.
- Vanessa García Larsen, Head of the Risk Factors and Nutrition Unit, Pan American Health Organization.
- Leo Nederveen, Regional Advisor on Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity in Schools, Pan American Health Organization.
- Kaia Engesveen, Technical Officer, Multi-Sectoral Action Unit on Food Systems, World Health Organization.
- Victoria Tiscornia, Project and Strategic Alliances Coordinator, FIC Argentina
- Malena Giai, Ministry of Health, Argentina.
- Luisa Kipreos, Ministry of Health, Chile.
- Pamela Vallejo, Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Colombia.
- Mahmooda Pasha, Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Social Marketing and Social Change at the University of South Florida.
- Nadia Flexner, Associate Director of Research, Global Health Advocacy Incubator.
- Fabio Gomes, Regional Advisor on Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Pan American Health Organization.