Salt warning

The UK government announced this week that food manufacturers could be forced to label food as 'high in salt'​ if they fail to make significant progress in reducing the amount in their products. A statement on the 10 Downing Street website​ reaffirmed the government's position that high levels of salt in food can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, one of the country's biggest killers.

Pubic health minister Melanie Johnson said that she expects retailers, manufacturers and caterers to commit to reductions across a range of products by February next year. Outlining a range of every day food items where salt levels would have to be reduced to meet the 6g recommended adult daily intake, it is clear that some food manufacturers have their work cut out.

According to Johnson, makers of beefburgers will have to reduce the salt content of their products by a whopping 40 per cent on average, while bread and breakfast cereals must cut their salt content by an average of 20 to 40 per cent. And since 1991, the average salt content in British sausages has risen from 2.2g to 2.4g, a figure that will have to be significantly reduced.

Johnson said that as three quarters of salt intake comes from processed foods like ready meals there is only so much the consumer can do to reduce the amount they eat. She points out that eight out of ten pre-prepared meals contain on average nearly half the recommended daily level of salt. The salt content of these products, will therefore have to be cut significantly.

Even baked beans, a stable of many British family meals, contain too much salt, according to the Downing Street website. An 80g serving provides a young child with 27 per cent of the amount of salt they need in a whole day, and the government would like to see an average reduction in salt content of over one third.

"Figures suggest that people's average salt intake has increased since the 1980s to nearly twice the recommended daily level,"​ said Johnson. "Adult men are eating around a teaspoon of salt more each day than the recommended amount, and women almost half a teaspoon more. Despite claims by the industry that they've taken substantial action, we need to see real steps forward to cut salt levels."​

She welcomed moves by some companies to cut salt levels but warned that progress would need to speed up to meet Government's targets. "If we don't see progress then action on food labelling could be the answer. I want to see openness and honesty and healthier options, which in turn will open people's eyes to the risks of a high salt diet."​