For food distributors and manufacturers the recent news regarding sodium intake has been equal parts alarming and confusing. As medical studies continue to reveal the dangers of a high sodium diet, will consumers switch to less salt? Alternative salts?

Do consumers really care?

Well, yes and no.

While the news regarding sodium intake is bad - after all it appears to contribute to everything from heart disease to stroke to high blood pressure - whether or not this will change salt consumption isn't clear.

In some cases, salt alternatives are gaining ground. This can mean salt-like seasonings, or even the use of sea salts which tend to offer more salty good flavor with less product.

And in response food manufacturing giants are working hard to cut back on sodium in their foods, and offer products that mimic the flavor of salt without the dangerous side effects.

However, according to research giant NPD, the American consumption of low sodium foods is actually declining.

Well, that's confusing.

So while the public is concerned about their sodium intake, they aren't ready to move to low salt foods.

For food manufacturers and distributors this means that while it's a good idea to offer some low sodium alternatives, you don't have to throw out your salt shakers just yet.

Diagnoses of Celiac Disease, also known as gluten intolerance, have been on the rise in the last 20 years. As a result some restaurants and food manufacturers are upping their gluten-free food product line.

Theories regarding the rise in Celiac Disease, or CD, include everything from better methods of diagnosis to the "hygiene theory," essentially stating that our immune systems aren't challenged enough in our current environment to develop the antibodies we need.

CD is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestines in which the sufferer cannot digest the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats. This makes it difficult for people with CD to enjoy baked goods and many restaurant foods.

But with the growing popularity of gluten-free flours, grocery stores, food distributors, and even restaurants are better able to provide foods for people with CD.

Suburban Journals finds that restaurants featuring gluten free foods are cashing in on a specific foodie "niche" that appeals to a specific market interested in flours, sauces, and products that are traditionally made with gluten.

Gluten free flours include potato flour, almond flour, corn flour, rice flour, and soy flour. These substitute flours do tend to cook up differently than their traditional counterparts, but with some fine tuning many bakers and distributors are finding that products made with gluten free flours can be delicious.

The recent impact of sodium studies on the salt use of major food manufacturers has many wondering if similar studies on sugar use will make the sweet stuff the nutritional "bad guy" yet again.

Recent studies on the over consumption of sodium and its health concerns have led the public to reassess their salt intake. Major food manufacturers are already scrambling to offer health conscious buyers low sodium alternatives, and there's even talk of a federal law mandating a certain amount of salt use in food lines.

Now a new study by the American Medical Association and cited at FoxNews finds that the over consumption of our other favorite food additive, sugar, doesn't just lead to weight gain, it also predisposes someone to heart disease.

Just recently sugar was enjoying a comeback of sorts in the wake of the low-carb craze. "Natural" sugar products have become popular again as consumers satisfy their sweet tooth.

And while sugar substitutes have been enjoying popularity, there will always be a significant portion of the population that prefers real sugar to sugar substitutes.

So far the resurging love of sugar hasn't been affected by any news of the study. However, with health conscious consumers ready to turn on a dime, food manufacturers could easily find themselves reaching for sugar alternatives in order to satisfy the consumers' sweet tooth.

In the wake of several studies linking sodium intake to a host of medical illnesses, the FDA has been urged to place a legal limit on salt use by food manufacturers and restaurants.

According to WebMD, American sodium intake is well above what's considered healthy. It's clear salt is taking a rap for health conditions like high blood pressure, strokes, kidney failure, and more.

As a result, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has urged the FDA to set federal standards for the amount of sodium that food manufacturers can add to their foods.

Critics, including the Salt Institute, suggest that a federal law mandating how much salt we should and shouldn't eat is "overkill." They prefer that people choose for themselves which products to buy and how much sodium to consume.

They suggest that promoting a diet with more fruits and vegetables would be a better way to ensure a healthier diet in America.

To some extent consumers themselves have had an impact on the use of salt by food manufacturers and restaurants. Many big distributors are searching for low-sodium food substitutions in order to appease more health-conscious buyers.

In response, the FDA plans to review the recommendations, but no word yet on whether an actual law regarding sodium use will be issued any time soon.

If you're one of the many confectioners and food manufacturers struggling with the high price of sugar in recent months, you're not alone.

As the Wall Street Journal says in its article on sugar prices, "tight supplies" have led to protests regarding costs, and in response the USDA will allow a small increase in sugar imports.

Unfortunately, it may be too small to do any good. Food manufacturers and the Sweeteners Users Association have called for an increase of 1 million tons to bring costs back down and ensure adequate supplies.

But the USDA is only set to approve another 300,000 tons, a decision that is likely to do little to quell complaints from confectioners and processors.

One group not complaining are U.S. sugar farmers, who been able to block the effort to increase imports beyond the 300,000 mark. There will be little competition for them in a market that heavily favors their crop.

Americans already pay more than other countries for sugar based on a restriction on imports that protects the sugar farming industry.

Thankfully, the U.S. government has agreed to ease some of the pressure by renegotiating the amount of sugar allowed to be imported by various countries, taking away rights from countries that don't export sugar anymore and giving them to big producers like Brazil.

This will add another 130,000 tons of sugar to this year's imports, and ease the burden a little more.

According to the Institute of Food Technologies, the majority of women today read nutrition labels very carefully, and specifically buy foods from food manufacturers that conform to today's definition of "healthy."

This includes looking for and purchasing foods with specific health benefits, including things like:

• high fiber
• reduced fat
• low sodium
• organic foods

What does this mean for food manufacturing?

It appears that offering foods that feature "healthy" benefits is likely a smart financial choice for manufacturers. If consumers are buying more expensive foods that offer perceived nutritional benefits regardless of a severe economic downturn, offering a line of such foods might be a good way to boost revenue regardless of the economy.

And while certain foods will be popular with certain populations regardless of nutritional content, simultaneously featuring food products that conform to current health trends is a smart way to appeal to multiple consumers.

Specifically, offering organic ingredients, replacing corn syrup with natural sugar, trimming sodium, and boosting fiber content with whole grain flours are all very popular today.

And while switching ingredients might seem like a chore, consumers are showing their eagerness to pay a little more when they're eating something they think is good for them--which is where choosing a food ingredients suppliers with competitive pricing can make all the difference to you as a manufacturer.