Calls for stricter action on salt to cut rates of hypertension
A health charity has called on the Government to take tougher action on salt in food to cut rates of hypertension after finding adults in the UK consume 40% more than the recommended amount.
An analysis by the British Heart Foundation found that Britons are eating the equivalent of 155 packets of crisps a week in salt.
Government guidelines recommend no more than 6g of salt per day in a healthy diet but working age adults eat 8.4g a day on average, figures show.
The difference between guideline-recommended amounts of salt and actual consumption amounts to six packets of ready-salted crisps a day, the British Heart Foundation said.
Lowering salt intake is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce this risk of hypertension which impacts 30% of UK adults, they added.
Reducing salt intake to World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended limits by 2030 could prevent up to 135,000 new cases of coronary heart disease over 14 years, the charity estimated.
To do this tougher regulatory action is needed to cut ‘hidden salt’ in food, the BHF warned, including in the upcoming Healthy Food Standard.
A poll commissioned by the charity from YouGov of over 2,000 adults showed that most people are not confident estimating their daily salt intake.
Only 16% correctly identified the recommended amount of salt they should be consuming, the survey found.
Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the BHF said most of the salt people eat is hidden in bread, cereals, pre-made sauces and ready meals, which makes it difficult for people to know how much they’re consuming.
‘The Government must step in to make the healthy choice much easier for families by giving manufacturers an incentive to take out excessive amounts of salt from our food.’
The charity says the Healthy Food Standard – an initiative aimed at reducing obesity – should include mandatory targets that incentivise all major food companies to reduce salt levels in their products.
Sonia Pombo, the head of impact and research at the campaign group Action on Salt, said: ‘Salt reduction is one of the simplest, most cost-effective actions any government can take to improve population health.
‘It requires minimal behaviour change from consumers because the vast majority of salt in our diets comes from the food we buy, not what we add at the table. That means the most effective action must focus on the food industry.’
They want to see legally binding salt reduction targets across all food categories with consequences for non-compliance as well as a levy on foods that exceed maximum salt thresholds and compulsory front-of-pack labelling.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: ‘This government is taking strong action to tackle health problems caused by poor diet as part of our 10-year health plan, which will shift the focus of care from sickness to prevention.
‘We are restricting advertising of junk food on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods, including those high in salt, and introducing mandatory reporting on healthier food sales.’
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