How Food Processing Impacts Hyperkalemia and Hyperphosphatemia Management in Chronic Kidney Disease

Food processing has a unique impact on patients living with chronic kidney disease who may need to restrict dietary sodium, potassium, and phosphorus intake. Canada is the second largest consumer of processed food in the world. Highly processed foods tend to be more nutrient dense, contain less fibre, and are higher in sodium than unprocessed foods. To reduce the amount of sodium in processed food, Health Canada has encouraged food producers to reduce the sodium in their food. Potassium additives have been identified as an attractive alternative to sodium and their use in food processing is expected to increase. Phosphorus additives have been reported to be present in about 44% of processed foods. Given the changes in the nutrient profiles of processed foods, dietary advice on ways to reduce sodium, potassium, and phosphorus intake may be best achieved by recommending minimally processed food and encouraging unprocessed foods more often.