“Hard-hitting approach to salt reduction”: Experts lobby tobacco-style warning labels for salt

30 Sep 2019 --- Salt available via retailers and salt shakers in restaurants should both carry a front-of-pack, tobacco-style health warning, according to The World Hypertension League and an assortment of health bodies. In a position statement published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension, lead author Dr. Norm Campbell notes that it is time for a more hard-hitting approach to dietary salt reduction. “Unhealthy diets are a leading cause of death globally and excess salt consumption is the biggest culprit, estimated to cause over three million deaths globally in 2017,” he notes.

The authors propose the following wording for the warning: “Excess sodium can cause high blood pressure and promote stomach cancer. Limit your use.”

Policy measures similar to those used to combat smoking have been previously flagged as potentially effective in the health sector as well. For instance, tackling obesity in a government-led way that mirrors how smoking was approached could be key to mitigating rising levels, according to Cancer Research UK. 

Jacqui Webster, Director of WHO’s Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction at the George Institute for Global Health, notes that although most countries require sodium levels on labels in processed foods, they are difficult for people to interpret and don’t warn of any health risks. 

“Health warnings on salt package and dispensers would be a simple, cost-effective way of conveying the dangers of salt to billions of people worldwide,” she adds.

Health warnings on salt package and dispensers would be a simple, cost-effective way of conveying the dangers of salt.Most people aren’t aware that the amount of salt they are consuming is raising their blood pressure and shortening their lives, says Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative seeking to prevent cardiovascular disease cases. “Warning labels on packaged foods and menus can help people make healthier choices. Adding warning labels to all salt packaging is another way to make the healthy choice the easy choice.”

Salt reduction on a global scale
The report comes at a time when the consumption of high amounts of salt is being flagged by research as harmful for health. Recently, a Lancet study highlighted the need for reformulation to lead to less salt and more fiber, since one in five deaths globally is linked to poor diet. 

As awareness over the matter grows, global governments and industry alike are making moves toward overall salt reduction. According to British research, almost 10,000 cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 1,500 cases of stomach cancer in the UK have been linked to the high salt content of foods. “The food industry has enormous power to shape the food that is on the shelves and ultimately the food that we eat,” Dr. Anthony Laverty from Imperial’s School of Public Health and lead author of the study, told NutritionInsight. “Salt intakes are still too high and the food industry could do more to reformulate foods to reduce salt intakes and disease across the population.”

According to UK research, in China, adults consistently consume above 10g of salt a day – over double the recommended limit of 5g – for the last four decades. This places Chinese salt intake among the highest in the world, highlighting the need for reformulations.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a target for countries to reduce sodium intake by 30 percent by 2025, and governments and the food industry have been working together to reduce salt in processed foods. However, urgent action now needs to be taken to raise consumer awareness of these dangers,” notes Dr. Campbell, who is also the former President of the World Hypertension League. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a target for countries to reduce sodium intake by 30 percent by 2025.“Although many countries have started to look at a variety of public health measures to encourage people to eat less salt, we’re not aware of any that have required actual containers of salt to have warning labels,” he adds.

In 2014, the UK set out to reduce salt content in products and meals. Since it was established, the salt reduction program has helped to reduce the nation’s salt intake by 11 percent, according to Public Health England (PHE). If this figure was brought closer to the recommended 6 grams a day, it could help to prevent thousands of avoidable deaths.

In the US, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recently released a report that updated sodium and potassium Dietary Reference Intakes and revised Adequate Intakes. The report also introduced the first DRIs specific to chronic disease risk reduction related to salt., coined Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Intake.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou