FSA slugs it out with pub chefs over salt

Pub chefs have come under increasing pressure to use less salt after the government launched a high-profile campaign warning people of the dangers of...

Pub chefs have come under increasing pressure to use less salt after the government launched a high-profile campaign warning people of the dangers of its overuse.

Government watchdog the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a major push to reduce the amount of salt British people eat.

Chefs and food manufacturers are expected to come under increasing pressure to cut the amount they use as public awareness of the issue grows.

Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which is a cause of or a contributing factor to 170,000 deaths each year in England alone.

At least 26 million people eat more than the recommended daily limit of 6g of salt. Men eat 11g of salt a day on average while women eat 8.1g a day.

FSA chairman Sir John Krebs said: "The human cost in terms of illness and death and cost to the NHS are very high.

"Cutting down on salt can significantly reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.

"Everybody has got used to eating too much salt and we want to encourage them to see how they can reduce intake."

The awareness campaign is being led by Sid the Slug, an animated character who will highlight the link between eating too much salt and the increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Andrew Wadge, director of food safety policy at the FSA, spoke about the campaign at the Catering Forum in June. He warned: "When we launch the awareness campaign we are confident customers will begin demanding lower-salt meals."

Salt manufacturers attack

The Salt Manufacturers' Association (SMA) has attacked the lower your salt campaign, claiming healthy people do not need to worry about how much they consume.

SMA general secretary Peter Sherratt said: "The government would have us believe that the evidence for salt reduction is now beyond question. The reality is that it is relying heavily on research that is at best inconclusive and contradictory."