Majority of Consumers Unaware of Salt Content

More than three quarters of people—77 percent—are not aware that bread and breakfast cereals are among the daily foods that contribute most salt to daily diets, according to results of a new Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey.

FSA’s new advertising campaign kicked off Oct 5 and is urging people to pay closer attention to the salt levels in the foods they purchase. The campaign features foods that make significant contributions to the salt intakes of U.K. adults and children. The salt levels of these foods vary across brands, so the campaign encourages people to reduce the amount of salt we eat by checking labels on foods and choosing those that are lower in salt.

“Salt intakes are coming down, but if we are to get closer to meeting our target of reducing intakes to a maximum of 6g a day for adults, and lower levels for children, people need to become more aware of the foods which contribute the most, as it isn’t just the obvious things we need to watch out for as far as salt is concerned,” said Rosemary Hignett, Head of Nutrition at FSA. “We‘ve been working closely with food manufacturers and retailers to encourage them to use less salt in their foods, and are pleased with the progress that is being made. But there is still a wide variation of salt levels in different brands, which is why it is so important that people check the labels.”

Sources:
• Food Standards Agency: Survey reveals lack of salt source knowledge