Just over half of the salt reduction targets set by the government have been met by retailers, manufacturers and out-of-home businesses.
The first progress report from Public Health England (PHE) found retailers made more progress in cutting back on salt content compared to manufacturers.
This progress towards meeting the goals was previously self-reported by the food industry, and this is the first in-depth assessment using commercial data.
The study revealed salt content is higher in out-of-home in comparison to in-home items. When it came to this sector, which covers retailers and manufacturers, the voluntary average salt targets were met in nine food categories, including breakfast cereals and baked beans. Meat products, however, met none.
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The government set the goals for salt content per 100g in 2014 across 28 food categories, with maximum levels ranging from 0.13g in canned vegetables to 3.75g in curry pastes.
The categories were chosen as they provide more than half the salt in the nation’s diet, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. The study also revealed the salt reduction programme has helped reduce consumers’ daily salt intake by 11%, to 8g.
PHE said if this level was brought closer to the recommended 6g, thousands of avoidable deaths could be prevented.
The government has also committed to setting out the next steps for salt reduction by Easter 2019.
“While it is encouraging to see the food industry is making progress towards the salt reduction targets we set in 2014, we know there is more to do,” said public health minister Steve Brine. “That’s why we committed to further reducing salt intake in our prevention vision. Next year we will put forward realistic but ambitious goals and set out details of how we will meet them.”
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Chief nutritionist at PHE Dr Alison Tedstone said: “Too much salt can lead to increased blood pressure which can cause heart disease and stroke, two of the biggest killers of adults in the UK. That is why government has set such stretching targets. While we have seen some progress, those that have taken little or no action cannot be excused for their inactivity. It is clear that, with the right leadership from industry, further salt reduction in foods continues to be possible.”
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, deputy director of food policy at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers know how crucial it is to encourage healthier choices and this report points to some of the outstanding progress on removing salt. For some salt categories, 100% of foods now meet the government’s challenging targets for salt reduction. However, the retail industry’s commitment to food safety in products where salt acts as a preservative has meant some targets haven’t seen as much progress.”
But Professor Graham MacGregor, chair of Action on Salt, called the results a “national tragedy” and urged PHE to give the targets comprehensive monitoring. “Thousands of unnecessary strokes and heart attacks have occurred and billions of pounds have been wasted by the NHS,” he said. “Tragically more than 4,000 premature deaths per year have occurred.”
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