General Mills TuesÂday said it's made maÂjor progÂress on its long-term goal of soÂdium reÂducÂtion, cutÂting salt by 20 percent in seven of 10 key U.S. prodÂuct cateÂgoÂries.
The Golden Valley-based packÂaged food comÂpany did best in saÂvorÂy snacks, cutÂting soÂdium by 35 percent from 2008 to 2015. It was weakÂest in ceÂreÂal, reÂducÂing salt by 18 percent.
Two othÂer cateÂgoÂries didn't meet Mills' 20 percent goal: soup and ÂMexiÂcan dinÂners (both had 19 percent reÂducÂtions). Salt was cut reÂspecÂtiveÂly by 29 percent, 24 percent and 21 percent in froÂzen pizÂza, bakÂing mixÂes and dinÂner mixÂes.
"We are reÂalÂly proud of the progÂress we've made," said Maha Tahiri, General Mills' chief health and ÂwellÂness ofÂfiÂcer.
General Mills pubÂlicÂly statÂed in 2010 that it planned to reÂduce soÂdium by 20 percent by 2015, using 2008 as its baseÂline year. The efÂfort has ÂenÂcomÂpassed 350 proÂducts, which toÂgether conÂstiÂtute one-third of the comÂpany's U.S. reÂtail sales volÂume.
Under presÂsure from conÂsumÂers and health adÂvoÂcates, packÂaged food comÂpanies in reÂcent years have been reÂducÂing salt, sugÂar and fat. ReÂforÂmuÂlatÂing proÂducts isn't easy, and can take months or even years to acÂcomÂplish. If ingredient tinÂkerÂing alÂters a prodÂuct's taste — the main drivÂer of food purÂchasÂes — conÂsumÂers could turn away.
"Health imÂproveÂments are only sucÂcessÂful if they are sucÂcessÂful with our conÂsumÂers," Tahiri said.
To mask the reÂducÂtion of salt, General Mills addÂed spices to some proÂducts and moved soÂdium around in othÂers.
For inÂstance, in Chex ceÂreÂal, while salt was reÂduced, the salt withÂin was esÂsenÂtialÂly moved to the surÂface so that it could make an imÂmeÂdiÂate imÂpact on taste.
Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003