In an attempt to lower salt and sodium intake among Thais and reduce the burden of diet-and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Thailand has announced that it is to develop national sodium benchmarks for manufactured foods.
The benchmarks also respond to the World Health Organisation (WHO) targets of 30% relative reduction in global sodium intake to a daily limit of under 2,000 mg by 2030.
Thailand’s first national sodium benchmarks
A team of researchers at Mahidol University’s Nutrition Institute are being funded by the Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI) to undertake research on the national sodium benchmarks for different food categories and put forward policy proposals and guidelines for setting sodium targets in food products to state agencies responsible for regulating and driving measures on salt and sodium reduction in food products for their consideration.
“Thailand needs national benchmarks for sodium levels. That allows for effective implementation,” the research team’s leader Assoc. Prof. Nattapol Tangsuphoom explained. The team is responsible for providing policy proposals for the country’s sodium benchmarks, along with guidelines for setting sodium targets in food products and target values for each phase of implementation based on the research findings.
Thailand has never developed national sodium benchmarks and the existing regional and global benchmarks for sodium levels do not match either the country’s situation or context, making them difficult to put into practice.
The project has studied eight food groups covering more than 40 product types considered as the top sources of sodium in the Thai diet. They are: (1) processed meat products; (2) processed fish and seafood products; (3) seasoning; (4) savoury snacks; (5) bakery products; (6) bread; (7) ready-to-eat meals; and (8) instant food products.
The team collected data from various sources and these will be used to develop a baseline on sodium content in different food product categories to identify which priority categories should undergo sodium reduction
Sodium benchmarks were then determined by comparing the sodium content of products available in Thailand with those of the WHO South-East Asia Region (WHO SEARO). The team also assessed the suitability of the benchmarks and whether they matched the objectives and the technical limitations of practice.
The study found several products to which the highest priority should be given for sodium benchmark settings. These were: whole-muscle dry-cured meat products, non-heat preservation; processed fish and seafood products; bouillon and stock concentrates; dips and dipping sauces; condiments; other Asian-style sauces; ready-to-eat meals composed of a combination of carbohydrates and either vegetables or meat, or all three combined; and pasta, noodles and rice or grains with sauce or seasoned dry mix.
A public hearing was also held to allow relevant sectors, including product manufacturers to put forward their opinions and concerns associated with the criteria, Nattapol noted.
“Many manufacturers are worried that sodium reduction in food products will affect consumers’ taste perception,” the researcher said, adding that participation in the sodium reduction measures is completely voluntary, not mandatory.
The team proposed a two-phase implementation framework of five years for setting the national sodium benchmarks.
In the phase one, it proposed setting a maximum sodium target for each product category at the 70th percentile (P70) of sodium content within each category, except for categories where the P70 value is lower than the sodium benchmark established by WHO SEARO.
In the second phase, the team suggests setting a maximum sodium threshold at either the 50th percentile of sodium content at baseline, or at a level representing a 10-20% reduction from the phase one sodium benchmarks, depending on the product type and technological feasibility.
“A five-year period of implementation should be long enough to make consumers aware of and understand the sodium reduction measures and keep sodium levels down,” Nattapol said.
Collaboration is key to success
The project suggests that the state agencies responsible for regulating and driving measures on salt and sodium reduction in food products work closely together to ensure successful implementation.
It also recommends that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute consider revising their regulations and standard requirements associated with mandatory minimum levels of salt in some types of food products to bring them in line with the proposed sodium benchmarks.
In particular, the FDA should consider asking manufacturers of processed meat products to show a GDA label on their products, as these are among the top sodium food sources in the Thai diet.
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation should work closely with the National Food Committee to raise awareness among consumers of the importance of reducing sodium intake to support behavioural change interventions.
“It’s very important to empower consumers to improve their sodium intake and diet. When this is combined with the proposed national sodium benchmarks, it would help the plans become reality,” Nattapol said, urging consumers to modify their eating behaviours and tame their sodium habit.
He also warns that foods that may not taste salty can often be major sources of sodium, adding that much of the sodium we consume is hidden in many ingredients.
“Baking soda and baking powder, for example, have some sodium. A slice of whole-wheat bread has a certain amount,” he said, adding that taste alone may not tell which foods are high in sodium.
The Department of Health should team up with associations and networks to reduce sodium content in the foods served in restaurants and at food stalls, as much of the sodium in the Thai diet comes from these.
The Sodium Reduction and NCDs Board should assign the FDA to work with institutes, universities and research units to conduct reviews of sodium reduction in manufactured foods during the implementation period.
The review can be used to measure the project’s success and serves as a reference point for setting the sodium benchmark in the next phase,” Nattapol explained.
The Customs Department, the Revenue Department and the Excise Department should consider offering tax incentives to food manufacturers that reduce sodium content in their products to improve consumer health.
In addition, Thailand Science Research and Innovation must provide technology and innovation grants to those institutes, universities and businesses implementing projects that reduce sodium content in Thai food products.
Universities, institutes and the research and development units of relevant ministries should support small- and medium- enterprises and community enterprises by conducting research studies and providing knowledge and technology transfer.
“These proposals make up the first step we should take for effective interventions on reduction of sodium intake. They would help improve the population’s health and reduce the number of NCD patients in the future, thus reducing the government’s financial burden on health,” Nattapol said.
Higher sodium intake, higher risks
Thais have long consumed too much sodium. A 2024-2025 National Health Examination Survey revealed that Thais aged 15 and over consume an average of 3,650 mg of sodium per day, nearly double the WHO’s limit. Excessive dietary sodium intake increases blood pressure, which raises the risk of heart and kidney disease and stroke.
The number of patients with chronic kidney disease increased from 1,046,072 in 2023 to 1,145,586 in 2025. In 2025 alone, the National Health Security Office approved a budget of over 17 billion baht to care for more than 90,000 patients with end-stage kidney disease under the Universal Health Coverage Scheme.
In response to this, the government has implemented measures to reduce salt and sodium consumption in food to help improve the health of the population, while simultaneously reducing national health expenditures. It is also intending to lower the salt and sodium content in manufactured foods that are frequently consumed and which significantly contribute to sodium intake. This has led to setting national sodium benchmarks for different food categories, which serve as targets for sodium reduction in food products.
Cutting down sodium intake is an effective way of lowering blood pressure, thus reducing NCDs and minimising the risks associated with high sodium intake such as chronic kidney disease.
