Research shows that 53% of the public rarely or never consider the ampunt of salt in food when buying, despite 86% of people being aware that too much is bad for their health.
As part of the Responsibility Deal, the Salt Strategy outlines how the Department of Health will help people reduce their daily intake from an average of 8.1g a day to 6g a day. This will be achieved by revising the 2012 salt targets by the end of the year; pushing the catering sector to do more by setting maximum targets for the most popular dishes and snacks; asking companies to help people choose lower salt options through promotional activities; and getting more companies across the food industry to sign up to salt reduction.
Public health minister Anna Soubry, who is heading up the campaign, said: "Today our typical shopping basket contains much less salt than it did 10 years ago but more needs to be done to help lower these levels even further.
"Through the Responsibility Deal, we are working with the food industry to make sure people are given healthier options with less salt in their favourite foods. The voluntary approach is working and we have already seen results in our everyday foods, but to get the greatest impact, we need more companies pledging to reduce salt levels, particularly in the catering and take away sector.
"The UK is world-leading in salt reduction but more needs to be done to reach our goal of no more than 6g a day. This is because eating too much salt can have a serious impact on people’s health – causing high blood pressure, which could lead to heart disease and stroke. Currently 90 companies have signed up to make salt reduction a priority, and we want to see real action from many more."