Sodium content of packaged foods in Uruguay by country of origin : regulatory challenges and trade considerations

Abstract

Background Excessive sodium intake is a major public health concern. Many countries have implemented sodium reduction programs, including voluntary and mandatory reformulation strategies. However, these measures may have significant trade implications, particularly for countries reliant on food imports. This study examines the potential trade impact of sodium reduction policies in Uruguay, a small open economy in South America. For this purpose, the following objectives were pursued: i) assess the sodium content of national and imported food products available in the Uruguayan market, and ii) to compare sodium content with regional sodium reduction benchmarks for both national and imported products. Results 53.6% of the 4719 analysed products were imported from 40 countries, with Argentina and Brazil accounting for the largest shares. While no consistent differences in sodium content were found between national and imported products, adopting the targets defined by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as mandatory limits would render 56.6% of imported products non-compliant. In 32 of the 62 subcategories, more than half of the imported products exceeded the PAHO targets, and in four subcategories, none of the imported products met the target. Conclusions Results suggest that mandatory sodium reduction policies would affect national and imported products similarly and are unlikely to constitute discriminatory trade measures. Establishing sodium thresholds tailored to Uruguay’s market, such as category-specific medians, could achieve gradual, feasible reductions while mitigating trade impacts.