Food industry urged to cut salt

Processed foods often have high salt content

Campaigners are preparing to pile pressure on food manufacturers to cut high salt levels in processed foods.

Health experts say high salt intakes can raise blood pressure which can lead to heart disease and strokes.

Consensus Action on Salt and Health will challenge the food industry when it stages the fifth annual National Salt Awareness Day on Wednesday.

CASH chairman Graham MacGregor said: "Food manufacturers must take responsibility for reducing intake.

'Misleading labelling'

"The problem is that most people cannot tell how much salt they are eating because it is added to their food without their consent, and the true salt content is disguised by confusing and misleading labelling."

Among the events planned for Wednesday is a meeting in the House of Commons at which Melanie Johnson, the public health minister who has urged manufacturers to take action, is due to speak.

Around three-quarters of salt consumed is contained in processed food such as snacks and ready-made meals.

Almost nine out of 10 of the 1,020 people questioned in a poll by market analysts TNS earlier this month were unaware of how much salt they should be consuming.

There is no legal requirement to list salt content on labels although many companies give the amount of sodium per 100 grams, which must be multiplied by 2.5 to work out how the amount of salt.

The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) advice is for adults and children over the age of 11 to consume 6g a day or less of salt.

The recommendation for younger children varies from 1g a day for babies up to six months to 5g a day for seven to 10-year-olds.

Official studies suggest men currently consume more like 12g a day and women 10.5g.