Is sodium and potassium content of commonly consumed processed packaged foods a cause of concern?

•High sodium content of popular processed foods and unfavorable sodium potassium ratio are a cause of concern.•Hidden sources of sodium are major contributors towards sodium content of processed foods.•Clear guidelines for labeling and mandatory labeling of sodium can help consumers make healthy food choice.

Processed foods are the major contributors towards sodium intake thereby pre-disposing individuals towards risk of Diet Related Non-communicable Diseases (DR-NCDs). There is paucity of data on sodium and potassium content of processed packaged foods in India. The sodium and potassium content of the most commonly consumed processed packaged foods (n = 154) was analyzed by AOAC 969.23 method using Flame Photometer. Highest analyzed mean sodium content was found in soups (4823 ± 1674 mg/100 g, range = 3220 to 8000 mg/100 g) while the potassium content was highest in chips with a mean of 778 ± 260 mg/100 g and ranged between 360 and 1220 mg/100 g. A higher potassium to sodium ratio is desirable for good health, however only 20% of the analyzed products were found to have the same. Therefore, there is a need to monitor the sodium and potassium content of the processed packaged foods and to reformulate the products to bring about favorable potassium to sodium ratio.