*4.4. Sodium/Salt in the Diet*

As mentioned in the Introduction, daily sodium intake in the world and in Spain exceeds the recommendations [11–13]. According to the ANIBES study, processed meat and bread are the main dietary sources of sodium intake in the Spanish population [13]. Our results show that processed meat and derivatives was the food group with the highest sodium content values and that it increased over the years. In 2012, a voluntary agreement between the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), the Spanish Confederation of Meat Retailers (CEDECARNE) and the Association of Manufacturer and Retailers of Food Additives and Supplements (AFCA) was signed to decrease the sodium content of these foods [56]. Whether that actually happened or not at that time, our results show that there are still reasons to be concerned about the high sodium content of processed meat.

Regarding bread, the Spanish Government released a decree in 2019 establishing a maximum sodium content for bread of 520 or 660 mg sodium/100 g, depending on the analytical method used [48]. Our data show a lower sodium content even before the decree was enforced (years 2017–19). We should mention that bread elaborated in bakeries was not included in our database while other bread-like foods were.
