The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and the National Network of Public Health Institutes, in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America, are pleased to announce the third in a series of Web Forums focusing on working with large food service providers and independent restaurants to improve nutrition and reduce sodium.

A high sodium diet raises blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. By reducing sodium, commercial and non-commercial food service operators can have a big influence over the health of Americans. Careful decision making around portion sizes and proportions of foods empowers food service providers to lower sodium use and boost health outcomes, without compromising taste or affecting the bottom line of their food service operation. 

This Web Forum will cover some food service terminology, highlighting benchmarking, operational measurements, and tracking usage ratios of foods. Additionally, the Web Forum will detail the implementation of specific, healthy menu changes, such as increasing produce, converting to fresh foods, and using more healthy fats and whole grains–all of which can help reduce overall sodium in food service settings. Furthermore, a local public health agency representative will share tips for success based upon experience working with a food service provider to reduce sodium.