Nowadays, food safety and health have become societal issues that are receiving increasing attention. With the improvement of consumption levels, consumers are gradually moving from having enough to eat and being full to eating well and healthily. What does eating well mean? It means safe, healthy, and without burden. In the field of condiments and sauces, 'eating well' has taken root in people's minds. More and more consumer groups demand condiments that are 'a little less, a little better.' The typical characteristic of 'a little less' is salt reduction and light eating. Although salt-reduced light eating is a definite consumption trend that FMCG industry practitioners can see, in fact, multiple forces are driving the process of 'salt reduction.' This article will deeply analyze the forces behind salt reduction in condiments, as well as the resistance and challenges behind these forces. Multiple Forces Jointly Propel Salt Reduction Ushers in a New Trend The first force, undoubtedly, comes from the national government level. In 2019, the National Health Commission formulated the 'Healthy China Action (2019-2030),' advocating that the per capita daily salt intake should not exceed 5 grams, while the average daily salt intake in China is about 10.5 grams, more than twice the recommended standard. In response to the generally excessive salt intake among Chinese residents, the State Council issued the 'National Nutrition Plan (2017-2030),' proposing to achieve a 20% reduction in the per capita daily salt intake of the entire population by 2030. The frequent release of these policies shows the attention and importance attached to salt reduction at the national level. The second force is the proactive salt reduction actions based on consumers' actual health needs. A domestic e-commerce platform's 'daily necessities' lifestyle trend report shows that 'post-95s families consume 3 grams less salt per day on average than post-85s families, and 30% of post-95s use light soy sauce instead of table salt.' In addition, according to a Mintel report, as many as 94% of Chinese urban consumers try to reduce their salt intake; 55% use less salt when cooking. These two consumption reports both indicate that consumers are promoting the salt reduction process with practical actions. Of course, for the elderly, from a medical perspective, eating more salt increases the risk of disease. Studies show that each additional 1.15 grams of sodium per day can increase the incidence of stroke by 6%. Besides the young and the elderly, children are also affected. Long-term consumption of high-salt, high-oil, and high-sugar foods can increase the burden on children's liver and kidneys. It is no exaggeration to say that salt reduction is now becoming a nationwide movement. In addition to government promotion and actual consumer demands, there is also the most important force: the promotion and guidance of many condiment brands in the industry. Leading Brands in the Industry Drive Salt Reduction Actions In the past two years, whether in media advertisements or on store shelves, we can see and hear various salt-reduced condiments, which are truly dazzling. This is undoubtedly driving the progress of the industry. Among them, we must mention Lee Kum Kee, the 'leading brand' in the condiment and sauce field. As early as 2009, Lee Kum Kee pioneered the thin salt soy sauce series, taking a step ahead of policy issuance and consumer awareness demands. In 2021, Lee Kum Kee launched thin salt oyster sauce, thin salt premium soy sauce, and other series products. It is precisely because of Lee Kum Kee's pioneering and forward-looking market insight that consumers have given the highest vote in the process of practicing salt reduction. According to an AC Nielsen report, Lee Kum Kee's thin salt soy sauce holds a leading market share of 64%, firmly ranking first in the salt-reduced soy sauce market, becoming the absolute leader in this subcategory. The 2022 Kantar survey report shows that whether among new buyers or repeat buyers of salt-reduced soy sauce, the proportion choosing Lee Kum Kee's thin salt soy sauce is the highest, which is highly recognized by consumers. Despite the Trend, Challenges Remain After discussing the promotion and guidance of these three forces, we must also clearly recognize that under the salt reduction trend, there are also many chaotic phenomena. As a definite consumption trend, many followers use the slogan of 'salt reduction' as a marketing tool, labeling products without scientific basis and selling them at high prices. For example, a media investigation found that a certain brand's 'thin salt soy sauce' had a sodium content of 11 grams per 100 milliliters, exceeding that of regular soy sauce (which generally contains 8-10 grams of sodium per 100 milliliters). Leading brands and enterprises often need to stay ahead of changes in consumer demand. Lee Kum Kee launched thin salt soy sauce in 2009, when the concept of thin salt was not yet widely discussed, taking the lead with solid craftsmanship and professional technology, demonstrating forward-looking judgment and grasp of industry trends. With the salt reduction trend approaching, there are more and more salt-reduced condiments on the market, but this is not the time to rush to 'harvest.' It is still necessary for major brands to work hard on product quality, cultivate internal skills, strengthen consumer education, and work together as an industry to orderly grow the market pie!