The average sodium intake of Koreans was reported to be 5,279.9 mg / day, which is one of the highest intake levels worldwide. The average Koreans intake 19.6% of sodium from kimchi, showing kimchi as the main contributor of sodium in this country (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2005). The sodium content of dishes that are frequently chosen by workers, and which were served by foodservice cafeterias were chemically analyzed. The average sodium content of one meal provided by 10 foodservice cafeterias was 2,777.7 mg. Twenty-one, one-dish-meals, frequently chosen by workers for a lunch menu, were collected at 4 different restaurants for each menu by one male, aged in the twenties and analyzed chemically also. Workers who eat lunch at a workplace cafeteria everyday could intake about 8 g of salt at a one-time meal and those who eat out for a one-dish-meal would intake 3-8 g of salt without counting sodium content from the side dishes . From these study results, one could estimate that over 10 g of salt could be possible for a single meal for workers who eat out everyday. A nationwide nutrition campaign and education for low salt diets for restaurant owners and foodservice providers should be seriously considered.
Most of the sodium consumed by Koreans comes from salt. Sodium is the mineral that causes high blood pressure and is also related to various chronic diseases (Dumier, 2009; Lee et al., 2002; Moon et al., 2009; Ritz et al., 2009; Son, 2007). The INTERSALT study for the subjects of 10,079 among 32 countries found a strong relationship between the amount of salt intake and prevalence of high blood pressure (Stamler, 1991).
Korea shows the highest salt consumption in the world. While the sodium consumed by people from Western countries mainly comes from processed foods, most Koreans consume nearly half of the total sodium through their traditional diet (Lee, 2009; Moon et al., 2009; The Korean Nutrition Society, 2005), including kimchi . According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey results in 2005, the average daily sodium intake of Koreans was reported to be 5,279.9 mg and that of Seoul citizens was 4,891.2 mg (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2005). This amount is even higher than Japan's 4,212.6 mg, the US's 3,375 mg, and even more than double the amount recommended by WHO / FAO, 2,000 mg. This means that Koreans are consuming excessive amounts of sodium everyday. The World Health Organization recommends daily salt intake of 5.0 g (sodium 2,000 mg). The Korean Nutrition Society set the daily intake goal of salt 5.0 g in 2005 (The Korean Nutrition Society, 2005).
