Take industry promises with a pinch of salt
The Faculty of Public Health is 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.
The Faculty is calling for continued concerted action across all sectors, including public, governmental and, critically, industry, to ensure that the target level of salt intake set by the Food Standards Agency – of 6g salt per day by 2010 – is achieved. For children aged 4-6 years the recommendation is only 3g/day.
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.
Faculty President, Professor Rod Griffiths said: “If we are to see real and lasting changes in health, through improved diets for children and adults in the UK , then more effort is needed from the food manufacturing industry in reducing the levels of salt in the food they produce and sell. The claims from some quarters that the deadline of 2010 isn't achievable is just a fudge.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- For further information contact Lindsey Stewart, Policy and Communications, Faculty of Public Health T: 020 7935 3115
- The Faculty has produced a position statement on the impact of salt on public health. Salt – a position statement is available from the Faculty's website.
- The Faculty is an authoritative public health body which maintains and improves standards in the public health workforce to improve the health of the population. For further information visit the Faculty's website: www.fph.org.uk
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