Dairy UK Addresses Concerns Over Salt Levels in Cheese

11 Aug 2014 --- Dairy UK has hit back at a report highlighting the ‘high levels’ of salt in cheese by stating that while the industry has already made significant reductions in this area, salt is “an integral part of the cheesemaking process”.

Chief Executive Dr Judith Bryans said: "Salt is in an integral part of the cheesemaking process for technical and safety reasons. In an effort to provide British consumers with nutritious, safe and wholesome cheeses, the dairy industry has made significant steps forward to reduce the salt content of dairy products over the last few years and cheese manufacturers have worked very hard to overcome technical barriers to salt reduction.

"However, lowering salt levels irresponsibly would raise a number of concerns for the cheese industry in terms of food safety and quality."

The original study, by Consensus Action on Salt & Health (CASH), suggested that some cheese-makers may not be going far enough when it comes to salt reduction. The group stated that while many cheeses now meet the recommended Department of Health 2012 salt targets, 81% are considered high in salt, with some containing more salt than seawater.

There is also a large variation between different types of cheese and within the same type of cheese, according to the paper by CASH, which is being published in the BMJ Open. 

Cheese is one of the ten biggest contributors of salt to the UK diet, with Cheddar and Cheddar-style cheese being the most popular, so lowering their salt content would make a real difference to our salt intakes, CASH explained.

Professor Graham MacGregor, CASH Chairman and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Wolfson Institute, Queen Mary University of London said: “Cheese is a big contributor of salt to the UK diet and it is vital that the Department of Health forces the cheese industry to implement the new targets immediately, and to set more challenging targets for the future.”

But Dairy UK’s Dr Bryans said this message is misleading. 

"It is disingenuous to suggest that cheese-makers are not doing everything they can to address issues around salt but they cannot compromise food safety. Cheese is only one food which contributes to consumers' salt intakes and other food groups contribute 
significantly more. Cheddar cheese in particular contributes to only 1% of salt intake in the UK - less than most food groups. The latest nutritional figures show the average British adult only eats 15g of cheese a day, a far cry from 100g a day.

"Cheese can be part of a healthy and balanced diet and are enjoyed by British consumers. The UK dairy industry remains committed to delivering safe and wholesome products."