The objective of this guideline is to provide recommendations on the consumption of sodium for most adults and children. It is important to establish nutrient guidelines so that nutrition interventions can be developed in a logical, systematic and scientific manner taking into account the best available evidence. The recommendations in this guideline can be used by programme and policy planners to assess current sodium intake levels relative to a benchmark and develop measures to decrease sodium intake, where necessary, through public health interventions including, but not limited to, food and product labelling, consumer education, and the establishment of Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG).