SHIFT IN SODIUM-CHLORIDE SOURCES IN PAST 10 YEARS OF SALT REDUCTION CAMPAIGN IN JAPAN

Twenty four-hr total food duplicate samples were collected from nonsmo king house-wives (aged mostly 30 to 60 years) twice at a 10-year inter val in winter seasons, once in around 1980 and then in around 1990 in 11 prefectures in Japan. In practice, 342 and 472 samples were obtaine d in the 1980 and 1990 studies, respectively. Sodium chloride (NaCl) i ntake via each food item was estimated from the weight of the item in the duplicate. The comparison of 1990 results with 1980 results showed that the total NaCl intake (i.e., NaCl intake via all food items) dec reased after a 10-year campaign to lower salt intake. The NaCl/energy ratio however stayed essentially unchanged. Whereas NaCl intake via pi ckles decreased remarkably and that via mise paste [a fermentation pro duct of soy bean, rice (or wheat) and salt] slightly, the decreases we re counteracted by a substantial increase in NaCl intake via soy bean sauce. Meaning of this unexpected counteraction was discussed in relat ion to the difficulties in the campaign to lower salt intake.