Salt intake still high among Britons

Despite conscious efforts made to avoid high salt intake, people in Great Britain end up consuming an average 9g a day, as against a recommended daily intake of 6g, thanks to ‘hidden salt in foods’, a study conducted by the Food Standards Agency reveals.

Veiled under sandwiches, ready meals, pasta sauce, pizzas, breakfast cereals and bread, salt is lurking in processed foods, FSA warned.
Acting as a silent killer, high salt intake causes high blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease.

While the research published by the FSA reveals a significant decrease in the average salt intake of the population since last measured in 2001, the figures are still lethal.

Urinary sodium tests conducted upon 1,287 adults reported a drop in the average daily salt intake from 9.5g in 2001 to 9g per day. While, the male intake dropped from 11g a day to 10.2g a day, the female intake fell from 8.1g a day to 7.6g a day, FSA’s salt reduction campaign results revealed.

While, 40 percent of the Britons were consciously trying to reduce the salt intake, nearly 90 percent of the respondents were cutting down salt consumption by not adding salt to their food.

Also, about 12 percent of the population base was avoiding processed food in order to cut salt consumption, campaign results reveal.
Initiated in 2004, the Food Standards Agency in collaboration with the UK food industry and health organizations are working to encourage product reformulation and to raise consumer awareness of the health risks associated with eating too much salt.

To complement the work of the authorities working on the issue, FSA also launches the latest stage of its salt reduction campaign, ‘Full of it’, urging people to check the quantity of salt present in the food products they buy.

The campaign includes a series of TV ads and press and poster advertising.