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Food industry told to slash salt levels in bid to cut heart attacks
Sophie Goodchild18 May 2009
Bacon, bread and a list of other basic foods face a salt clampdown, under radical measures launched today.
A total of 80 supermarket staples are being targeted by the Food Standards Agency, with retailers and manufacturers ordered to slash the salt content by up to half in some cases.
Tinned sardines and pasta are among those facing the toughest reductions as part of a continued Government drive to cut rates of coronary heart disease.
Health experts believe reducing Britain's daily salt intake to 6g from 8.6g could prevent an average of 20,200 premature deaths a year.
The British Medical Association and the Medical Research Council are among those who back the 6g target. Food manufacturers and retailers now have until 2012 to implement the new targets.
The FSA said it welcomed reductions already made by manufacturers and retailers but said there was still a significant variation in salt levels between products.
Rosemary Hignett, the FSA's head of nutrition, said: “To continue to make progress we have set 2012 targets at levels that will make a further real impact on consumers' intakes.
“The 2012 targets are challenging, but we also believe them to be achievable, though we will continue to monitor this. The public health case for reducing the amount of salt in people's diets to 6g a day is as strong as ever.”
Britain's estimated average daily salt consumption of 8.6g is a drop of 0.9g from the level nine years ago.
This reduction represents an annual saving of £1.5 billion for the NHS and employers thanks to related health benefits. About 75 per cent of the salt people eat is already in everyday foods.
The FSA has based its new targets on foods that make the greatest contribution of salt to diet.
This includes bread, meat, cereals and convenience foods such as pizza, ready meals and savoury snacks.
The FSA is planning to launch a public awareness campaign on salt intake this Autumn, which will target families. The daily recommended intake of salt
depends on age. A child aged between one and three years for example should only eat 2g salt a day.
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition concluded that evidence for a link between salt intake and blood pressure has increased since 1994.
Coronary heart disease is Britain's biggest killer, with one in every four men and one in every six women dying from the disease.
Reader views (3)
That 1.5 billion pound savings is absolute nonsense. The mortality rate for human beings is 100%. Everyone dies sometime. If not from heart disease than from something else. Since one third of all heart attacks involve someone dropping over dead, a very inexpensive action, preventing this may actually drive up health care costs. Now this person who would have dropped over dead at age 65, now lives to 95, drawing a pension and running up medical bills in the millions with chronic illnesses. But at least you don't have to think for yourselves. Oh, no, God forbid you'd have to do any of that pesky thinking for yourself thing. Don't worry, Big Brother will tell you what to eat, how to crap and when you need to dress warmly. Isn't socialism grand?
- Ed, San Diego, CA, USA, 18/05/2009 23:12
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The only solution, salvation even, would be the adoption of the Paleo diet - no salt, no refined carbs, just meat, fish, fresh fruit and veg - enjoy!
- Foody, Mancs, 18/05/2009 16:23
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Unfortunately most food is tastless without salt! FOOD INDUSTRY, WAKE UP !!!! Find an acceptable alternative.
- Peter Sefton, Givat Zeév, Israel., 18/05/2009 14:56
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