Salt Awareness Week House of Commons reception
Professor Graham MacGregor
Chairman of Consensus Action on Salt and Health
Professor MacGregor opened his speech by stating that "Blood pressure throughout its range is the biggest cause of death and disability in the UK and the world through the strokes, heart attacks and heart failure it causes, and that salt intake is the major factor that puts up blood pressure. "Our current salt is the major factor that puts up our blood pressure, particularly the rise in blood pressure that occurs with age. Reducing salt intake will lower blood pressure and will cause large reductions in the number of people suffering and dying from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure."
Professor MacGregor went on to say that "hitting the target of 5-6 grams of salt a day, half of what we are now consuming, would save 70,000 people suffering from strokes and heart attacks, 35,000 of which are fatal and that's per year."
Professor MacGregor briefly reviewed the history of the CASH salt reduction campaign. CASH was set-up 10 years ago to reach a consensus with the food industry and Government regarding the importance of reducing salt. Subsequently, the Department of Health agreed with CASH and then the Food Standards Agency came on board. "The whole policy has been to get a gradual, sustained reduction in the amount of salt that's added to all foods, and you'll be aware that more than 80% of the salt we currently consume is already in foods before we eat it. In other words, currently we have little choice."
Professor MacGregor then summarised the survey CASH carried out for Salt Awareness Week. CASH reviewed previous surveys where products had been 'named and shamed'. We decided this year to re-look at these products and see what has happened over the last 4-5 years. "There is some really good news - more than two thirds of those products have had their salt content reduced and the average reduction was around 20%." Professor MacGregor congratulated the food industry for the progress they have made, but at the same time highlighted that there are still many high salt products available which need to be reduced. Furthermore, Professor MacGregor stated that there was a very wide variation of salt concentration in the same product categories and tremendous pressure now needs to be exerted by CASH, the Government and the Food Standards Agency to get companies that have not reduced the amount of salt added to do so. Professor MacGregor also paid tribute to the media for their strong support over the last 10 years for publicising the dangers of eating too much salt, and making the public aware of foods that contain large amounts of hidden salt.
Professor MacGregor summarised by saying that we need to reduce the salt concentration in all foods where salt has been added and that includes restaurant and canteen food as well. CASH are calling on the public to "look at the new labels and decide for themselves whether they want to consume it and any food that has more than 1.25g of salt per 100g or more than 2.4g of salt per portion we suggest the public should not eat and eat alternatives that have less salt in. we wish the public now to vote with their feet and to stop buying these very high salt products which will force these companies to reduce the salt concentration."
Professor MacGregor finished his speech by describing the international group World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) which CASH set-up at the end of 2006. This has already had a major impact in the US , Canada , Australia , the Far East and in some developing countries. Professor MacGregor stated that the UK "is leading the world in reducing salt in food and all eyes from all over the world are now on the UK looking at us to see how we are doing this and are we going to achieve it."