GLOBAL NUTRITION DATABASE FOR PACKAGED FOODS

Using the database

Begin your search by selecting a nutrient from the dropdown menu below to populate the table and activate additional filters. Once selected, you can filter the data by Geography, Year, and Category (including by subcategory for sodium). The dropdown menus use the categorization system developed for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Sodium Benchmarks, 2nd edition.

Once you select your desired filter(s), country data will be shown. Each row provides information on food categories and subcategories, category mean or median values, and where available, national nutrient targets. For sodium data, each row also provides a comparison to the maximum limit by food category set by the WHO Global Sodium Benchmarks. For countries within the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) region, both the 2025 PAHO Regional Sodium Targets and WHO Global Sodium Benchmarks are provided for comparison. Under the Country Target column heading, you’ll find details on target type (voluntary (vol) or mandatory (man)), whether the target represents a mean, sales-weighted mean (SWM), or maximum (max), and the designated target year (compliance date).

Note: The categories displayed in the table are those provided by each country. If you expand a row, you can see how these country-specific categories are mapped to the best-matching WHO benchmarks, PAHO targets, and national targets. Click on the Country Profile button to learn more about the data collection methods, specific country targets, and relevant policies in place for each country in the database.

Important limitation: The datasets within this database originate from a diverse set of independent research studies, each employing its own unique methodologies for food categorization, sampling and inclusion criteria, and reported statistics. As a result, the presentation of the data displayed may vary significantly from one dataset to another. Due to these variations in research methodologies employed by individual studies, users should exercise caution when attempting to draw direct comparisons between different datasets or countries, or comparisons to country/regional targets or global benchmarks.

For more detailed guidance on how to navigate this resource, click here to download our User Guide.