F.D.A. Issues Voluntary Guidelines in Effort to Reduce Sodium Consumption

The new recommendations are aimed at food manufacturers and restaurants. Some experts say they don’t go far enough.

The Food and Drug Administration, citing an epidemic of diet-related illnesses, released new guidelines on Wednesday aimed at reducing the amount of sodium that Americans consume at restaurants, school cafeterias and food trucks, or when they are eating packaged and prepared foods at home.

The recommendations, issued after years of delay, seek to reduce the average daily sodium intake by 12 percent over the next two-and-a-half years by encouraging food manufacturers, restaurants and food service companies to scale back their use of salt. That goal translates into 3,000 milligrams of salt — about a teaspoon — compared to the 3,400 milligrams that Americans typically consume in a day.

America’s love affair with salty foods has been linked to alarmingly high rates of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. More than 4 in 10 American adults have high blood pressure; among Black adults, that number is 6 in 10, the F.D.A. said.