Print this page

Useful Salt Facts

  1. The World Health Organisation has recognised that salt reduction is of equal importance to stopping smoking for heart disease.
  1. Raised blood pressure is the major cause of cardiovascular disease, accounting for 62% of strokes and 49% of coronary heart disease.
  1. A high salt diet can also contribute to osteoporosis, stomach cancer, kidney disease, kidney stones and obesity.
  1. For every 1g of salt we cut from our average daily intake there would be 6,000 fewer deaths from strokes and heart attacks each year.
  1. The cost of a high salt diet in the UK to the NHS is £1.6 million each year
  1. The total cost of the salt campaign including the FSA cost are approx £15million.  The overall savings according to NICE are approximately £1.5billion. 
  1. Achieving the 6g intake target will prevent a further 17,500 premature deaths every year and save the economy around £4bn
  1. Reducing salt intake around the world by 15% could prevent 9 million deaths between 2006 and 2015
  1. Your blood pressure as a child can influence your blood pressure as an adult, so keeping your salt intake down from a young age is important.
  1. Salt intake has fallen in adults in the UK from 9.5g to 8.6 g per day, a 10% reduction in the national salt intake.
  1. About 75% of salt is hidden in processed foods, not salt we add to our food.
  1. In the UK, about 17% of the salt in a our diet comes from bread, the largest contributor of salt in our diets
  1. According to 2010 data 30% of an adult’s salt intake comes from cereals and cereal products, while 28% is from meat products. For children, 35% of their salt is from cereals and cereal products and 25% is from meat products.
  1. 19,700 tonnes of salt per year has been removed from the UK diet since the start of the salt reduction policy. 
  1. Supermarkets tend to be leading the way with salt reduction, with big brands dragging their heels
  1. The work in the UK is being copied worldwide, with good progress being made in Australia, Canada and the US.
  1. Reading product labels can help to determine if a product is high or low in salt, and whether or not it is high compared to similar product.