The position statement also outlines what need to happen to ensure that salt levels are reduced and public health protected.
The Faculty is calling for continued concerted action across all sectors, including public, governmental and non-governmental, and, critically, industry to ensure that the target of 6g/day of salt is achieved. 6g/day is the maximum amout of salt an adult should intake in a day, as recommended by the UK Food Standards Agency.
Although some progress has been made towards this target, some sectors of the food industry claim that meeting the deadline isn’t achievable. They say that it is not technically possible to reduce salt levels below a certain level. However, this claim has not been verified by most independent experts.
The Faculty of Public Health is also targeting supermarkets and food manufacturing industry in an effort to get them to reduce the high levels of salt in food products, and ultimately protect their customer’s health from risk of high blood pressure, stroke and coronary heart disease.
Related Links:
Food Standards Agency (UK) informative webpage on salt
EFSA highlights the dangers of eating too much salt
Recommendation to reduce salt intake in the population
World’s biggest 25 food companies not taking health seriously enough
