title: Innovative regulatory approaches to reduce sodium consumption: could a cap-and-trade system work?
abstract: Many regulatory and professional organizations are calling for strict new regulations to reduce sodium consumption on a population basis. New regulations on sodium may have significant public health and economic impacts. This article explores five regulatory options to reduce sodium consumption: 1) maintaining the status quo, 2) improving risk communication and information, 3) revoking generally regarded as safe status of sodium and regulating its use in food products, 4) establishing a sodium tax, and 5) establishing a market-based, cap-and-trade system for sodium that builds on similar approaches in environmental regulatory policy. Cap-and-trade may be a promising regulatory option for sodium and other ingredients.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA. richard@richardforshee.org
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Forshee
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007881:Legislation, Food; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary