Aramark reports 14 percent sodium reduction across widespread food program

Aramark, a food service company that serves two billion meals each year in the U.S., has reported second-year results from a program aimed at serving healthier food across workspaces, hospital cafes, colleges and universities.

Updated menus have achieved a 14 percent average reduction in sodium, a 15 percent reduction in saturated fat and an 11 percent reduction in calories while increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains by 5 percent. Sodium intake is a key risk factor for hypertension, a condition 46 percent of Americans are living with after the Nov. 13 update to U.S. blood pressure guidelines.

“To drive significant health impact and save lives we must think differently, and more systemically, about how we reach the most people where they are to positively influence their food choices,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, which is collaborating with Aramark on the initiative. “Our work with Aramark accelerates progress both from the meals they serve every day to the communities where they do business—and that’s a powerful combination.”

The two-year results put the AHA and Aramark on track to realize their joint Healthy for Life 20 By 20 goal, which aims to decrease calories, saturated fat and sodium by 20 percent while also increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains by 20 percent by the year 2020.

More than 70 percent of Aramark’s main dishes are now 500 calories or less and soups are averaging less than 500 milligrams of sodium per serving.

In addition to diet, exercise is recommended as a first-line treatment against hypertension.