The guide is intended for all Japanese food companies, including those considering salt reduction for the first time and those seeking to reassess or expand existing initiatives. It offers both a conceptual foundation and operational tools that companies can adapt to their circumstances, balancing standardization with flexibility to support diverse product portfolios, organizational structures, and technical capacities.
The content is organized into three chapters. Chapter 1 highlights the importance of voluntary reformulation by the food industry to reduce salt, from both public health and business perspectives. Chapter 2 summarizes key considerations for setting feasible, stepwise salt-reduction targets. Chapter 3 discusses organizational arrangements and collaboration with external stakeholders to support effective salt-reduction initiatives. The appendix presents case studies of voluntary salt-reduction target-setting in Japan and other high-income countries.
The guide promotes target setting aligned with the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) framework [25]. By providing a systematic structure for defining objectives, tracking progress, and maintaining accountability, it supports companies in developing actionable salt-reduction strategies linked to measurable outcomes.
Need and incentives for product reformulation
Given Japan’s high average population salt intake, reformulating food products is both necessary and strategically advantageous. Regularly reporting progress toward measurable targets can create a reinforcing cycle, generating opportunities for product innovation, enhanced ESG performance, stronger investment appeal, increased consumer trust, and growth in sales of low-salt products.
Framework for salt-reduction target-setting
The guide outlines relevant national and global intake goals as the foundation for setting corporate salt-reduction targets. These include the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2025 edition; <7.5 g and <6.5 g per day for men and women, respectively) [26], the Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines (JSH2025; <6 g per day for patients with hypertension) [27], and the WHO recommendation (<5 g per day) [2]. The guide explains how companies can reference these goals when setting reformulation targets according to their business circumstances. Several key dimensions are identified, such as target product scope, nutrient focus, target metrics, and sodium criteria. Various reformulation approaches are outlined across these dimensions (Table 1) [18, 28]. These approaches can be combined to balance salt-intake goals with business feasibility.
Table 1 Methods for setting salt-reduction targets
The guide provides further detail on several methodological options for setting targets. A sales-weighted average (i.e., calculating the average salt content of products weighted by sales volume) is recommended as a target metric because it prioritizes high-selling items. Examples of sales-weighted average calculations are provided for high-salt Japanese food categories such as miso, soy sauce, pickles, and processed seafood. With respect to externally defined sodium criteria, the guide refers to the Japanese nutrient profiling model, which is available for both processed foods and dishes [29, 30], and WHO global sodium benchmarks [31]. In addition, it describes how to calculate relative salt reduction (i.e., total amount of salt reduced through sales of the reformulated vs. original product), drawing on examples from low-salt foods certified by the Japanese Society of Hypertension [14]. Finally, because implementing evaluations in practice can be time-consuming and costly, the guide suggests using simulation modeling as an alternative to assess potential impacts of reformulation on population-level salt intake.
Implementation timelines
Implementation timelines are integral to effective salt-reduction strategies. International data shows that gradual reformulation is technically feasible and more acceptable to consumers, as taste preferences adapt progressively [18]. The guide, therefore, stresses the importance of setting company-level timelines that allow for gradual reformulation and align with broader public health milestones, such as the 2030 target specified in the Sustainable Development Goals [32] or national dietary goals, to ensure coherence between corporate initiatives and policy agendas. To maintain flexibility and encourage long-term engagement, the guide recommends establishing time-bound targets that can be updated in light of new scientific evidence, market dynamics, or technological advances. The selection of achievement years should reflect the scale of the product category and the extent of salt reduction required.
To balance feasibility with consumer acceptance, the guide advises the use of interim evaluation points and staged reformulation. For example, a company could commit to reducing the salt content of a flagship product line within three years, while establishing checkpoints to monitor progress, evaluate consumer responses, and make adjustments.
Organizational structure and external collaboration
The guide outlines two organizational models for effective salt-reduction initiatives. In the first model, the product planning and development division leads reformulation efforts and target-setting, with senior management approving the proposed strategy before implementation. The second model is suited to companies that lack sufficient internal capacity. It recommends participation in trade associations and the sharing of common goals to obtain external support, peer learning, and a foundation for gradual progress.
The guide also emphasizes that external collaboration can enhance feasibility and credibility. Partnerships are recommended with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Strategic Initiative for a Healthy and Sustainable Food Environment [12], consultation with the Japanese Society of Hypertension’s Salt Reduction and Nutrition Committee for technical advice and product certification [33], and cooperation with the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center’s KARUSHIOH Project, which promotes flavor enhancement as a key salt-reduction strategy [24].
Technical approaches to salt reduction
The guide outlines several technical salt-reduction strategies that maintain product quality, including partial replacement of sodium chloride with potassium chloride and the use of flavor-enhancing vegetables, herbs, and spices [34,35,36,37,38,39]. The guide includes a case box with reformulation examples as a practical illustration, designed to reduce salt without compromising palatability, product safety, or shelf life.
Case studies
The case studies in the guide’s appendix illustrate practical approaches to setting salt-reduction targets. Companies were selected based on the availability of publicly accessible information on product scope, sodium standards, and implementation timelines in recent integrated reports or on official websites.
Industry feedback
Responses to the company survey on the draft guide indicated that the guide would be most relevant to product planning and public relations departments. Some respondents valued its usefulness in setting reformulation goals, developing medium- to long-term product strategies, and communicating with consumers and stakeholders. However, others pointed out the limited scope for salt reduction in certain products owing to manufacturing and preservation requirements, challenges in interpreting the relevance of results from studies conducted in other countries to the Japanese context, and the importance of consumer education as a complementary measure. The draft guide was revised to reflect this feedback.
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