Sir, - We wish to clarify some of the confusion which has arisen about salt in foods. Kellogg's states that the ingredients in its cereals include salt yet does not give the salt concentration but refers instead to sodium content. This should appear as 2.8g salt per 100g (equivalent to 1.1g sodium per 100g) as salt is added to the cereal, not sodium, and most people are familiar with salt.
David Mackay of Kellogg's (November 25th) says the company is actively working to reduce the salt content of its cereals. If that is so, why do Kellogg's not simply reduce the amount of salt added as an ingredient right now and as has been done recently in Australia? This would be a simple but significant public health initiative. We suggest that Kellogg's, other cereal suppliers, food processors and bakeries should all print the salt content of their products on the respective composition labels.
In this context it may be noted that pure sodium is a very reactive metal which interacts violently with water. Should sodium, rather than salt (sodium chloride), be added to cereals, it could give a new meaning to the "rise and shine" slogan on some Kellogg's cereal packets. - Yours, etc., Prof James Heffron and Analytical Biochemistry and Toxicology Laboratory Prof Ivan J. Perry,
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork.