A NATIONAL target to reduce adult salt intake to one teaspoon per day by 2010 will not be met unless people take decisive action to reduce their intake, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has warned.
The authority said the food industry had made "significant strides" to reduce salt in processed food, with a 7 per cent reduction achieved since the authority began its salt-reduction programme four years ago.
However, this alone would not be enough for the national target of one teaspoon, or 6g, to be met within two years.
It has been forecast that salt intake from processed food will be about 7g per day in the average diet by 2010. This does not include salt added at the table or during cooking.
The authority said people must make "a significant effort" to reduce the amount of salt they add to their food in cooking and at the table.
It also encouraged consumers to use their purchasing power by opting for low-salt products. This would influence the food industry to reduce the amount of salt used in their products.
And the authority encouraged the Government to do more to raise public awareness of the need to reduce salt intake.Yesterday the authority published its fourth annual report detailing progress by the industry in meeting salt targets.
Dr Wayne Anderson, chief specialist in food science at the authority, said it was now clear that the 2010 deadline was too ambitious and a longer timescale would be needed to reach the 6g/day target.
He praised the food industry for supporting the initiative but said "there are no quick solutions to weaning the population off its preference for salt".
Food industry efforts would mean nothing if people just added more salt at the table. " If consumers can be encouraged to be salt aware and actively select lower salt foods, then they will drive change faster in the food industry and ultimately improve their own health."
The salt-reduction programme is voluntary and 72 companies and organisations have signed up to it. All the major supermarket chains are participating but Dr Anderson said the German discounters Lidl and Aldi declined to take part.
Participants also include breadmakers, delicatessen suppliers, caterers and groups as diverse as the Irish Prison Service and Abrakebabra.
Dr Anderson said all bread for sale now had 10 per cent less salt than it did four years ago. Approximately 27 per cent of our salt intake comes from bread products.
He said major progress had also been made on meat products such as sausages and bacon.
Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Wallace welcomed the findings and said the EU Common Framework on Salt Reduction was working with a similar purpose.
It is supported by 19 member states, including Ireland, and aims to achieve a 16 per cent reduction in salt intake over a four-year timeframe.
