Supporters
Charity Supporters
CASH were proud to work with a number of charities as part of SAW 2010. Together, we worked to highlight to the public the risks involved with a high salt diet and the importance of looking at labels to ensure high salt foods are not consumed.
We were supported by:
- Asthma UK
"Asthma UK supports National Salt Awareness Week as we know that eating a healthy diet will help keep asthma symptoms under control”
- Blood Pressure Association
"Eating too much salt is a major factor in the development of high blood pressure, the main cause of strokes and heart disease, and a condition which affects one in three of us in the UK. Although this message has got through to some, many people are simply still not aware of how much salt they eat or that 'low salt' doesn't have to mean 'low taste'. "We want to help everyone understand that reducing salt in their diets brings a whole range of health benefits, including having a positive effect on their blood pressure, which is why the Blood Pressure Association is proud to support National Salt Awareness Week 2010."
- British Heart Foundation
"The British Heart Foundation is pleased to support salt awareness week. It is vital that everyone knows what the daily maximums are for salt, how they can find out how much they are eating and what action they can be taking to stay within the limits set. We know that in the UK people are currently consuming too much salt which can, over time, lead to high blood pressure - a key risk factor for heart disease. A single front-of-pack food labelling scheme that allowed everyone to see the content of the food that they are buying at-a-glance would help us all to understand what we are eating and to make healthier choices"
- Cancer Research UK
"Cancer Research UK is pleased to support National Salt Awareness Week. Reducing the amount of salt we eat can help lower the risk of stomach cancer as well as other diseases. So it's important to watch our salt intake by keeping eye on food labels and cutting down on high salt foods"
- Diabetes UK
"Diabetes UK is pleased to support National Salt Awareness Week 2010. Consuming more than 6g of salt a day can raise blood pressure which can lead to stroke and heart disease. People with diabetes are already at an increased risk of developing these conditions as a complication of their diabetes, so it is especially important that people living with diabetes and those at risk of Type 2 diabetes understand this and reduce their salt intake”
- Kidney Research UK
"Kidney Research UK supports National Salt Awareness Week We believe that if everyone is aware of the amount of salt they consume then they can lead a healthier lifestyle and look after their kidneys. We find that if people who suffer from high blood pressure actually reduce their salt intake it could help to slow down any decline in their kidney function ”
- National Obesity Forum
"The National Obesity Forum strongly supports Salt Awareness Week. Salt intake and obesity are both closely linked with heart disease and stroke, and the types of food which cause obesity and its co-morbidities are often the very same foods which contain dangerously high levels of salt. Eating snacks which contain salt, leads to increased consumption of beer and other high calorie drinks, and a vicious circle is created. Combating obesity and high salt intake involves targeting the same foods, and NOF is very committed to collaborating with Salt Awareness Week."
www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk
- National Osteoporosis Society
"Reducing salt is recommended for improvements in general health with benefits for the heart and blood pressure, but it could also have benefits for bone health too.
A high intake of salt in the diet causes an increase in the amount of calcium lost in urine. The effects of salt on blood pressure may also be responsible for speeding up the body's loss of calcium. As calcium is vital for building bones, anything which increases its loss from our body could impact on bone strength”
- Stroke Association
"The Stroke Association supports National Salt Awareness Week 2010 as reducing our salt intake is one of the easiest things we can to do to help prevent stroke.
High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke and there is evidence to suggest a high intake of salt can aggravate high blood pressure. Reducing salt intake is simply done: beware of the salt content in every day foods and opt for low salt alternatives'"
- The Ménière's Society
"Ménière's disease is a long term progressive condition affecting the balance and hearing parts of the inner ear. Symptoms are acute attacks of vertigo (severe dizziness), fluctuating tinnitus, increasing deafness and a feeling of pressure in the ear. Other vestibular disorders, such as labyrinthitis and BPPV have similar debilitating symptoms of dizziness for sufferers.
Salt reduction is widely recommended for many people with Ménière's disease/vertigo, as reducing salt intake is thought to help reduce the frequency and severity of the dizziness”
- Netmums.com - Parenting website
"From the Netmums survey we know that parents know that too much salt in children's diets can damage their health and there is a generally good understanding that too much dietary salt is linked to heart disease. But with so much of our sodium intake hidden in processed food it's difficult to always know how much salt our children are actually consuming without spending valuable time deciphering food labels. We are pleased that CASH are continuing to highlight the link between too much dietary salt and the variety of serious health related problems and I hope that the food industry react by continuing to reduce the salt they use in their food products"
- The School Food Trust
"Reducing the salt content of children's diets is just one of the aims of the new standards for school food, and National Salt Awareness Week is a great time to highlight the progress that's been made. Salt can no longer be provided to pupils on tables or at service counters in the dining room, or added to food after cooking. The nutrient-based standards also set out maximum sodium levels for the average school lunch.
We know from our research that packed lunches are still often higher in salt than school meals, and that's why we're continuing to encourage more children to try a school lunch; with 10% of children obese when they start reception year, the well-balanced and nutritious menus on offer in schools have an important role to play in improving the health of children"
- The Children's Food Campaign (Sustain)
"The Children's Food Campaign is a strong supporter of National Salt Awareness Week. We believe that it is very difficult for parents to monitor how much salt their children are eating because of inadequate food labelling. We call on the food industry to reduce the amount of salt in food products and to provide more helpful nutritional information on their labels. We are grateful to CASH for raising awareness of the many health related problems that a high salt diet can be associated with."
High Profile Supporters
- Anne Diamond - Journalist and health campaigner
"We should all be more aware of what's in our food – and taking unnecessary salt out of it is the first step to health. We should all take personal responsibility by voting with our shopping bags – in other words, look at the label and don't buy anything with too much salt! And, as well as that, we should put as much pressure as we can on the food industry to cut right back!"
- Anthony Worrall Thompson - Chef
"I am pleased that the wide range of health problems contributed to by a high salt diet are being highlighted in the forthcoming National Salt Awareness Week. I fully support the event and urge the food industry to think about how much salt they add to our food"
- Annabel Karmel - Nutritionist
"I am passionate about giving children the best start in life, and to do this a healthy diet is important. One key factor in this is reducing salt intake, to avoid health problems such as high blood pressure and osteoporosis later in life. To ensure that your child is not consuming too much salt, it is important to remember to check product labels in store. I fully support National Salt Awareness Week and I am pleased that the wide range of health conditions contributed to by a high salt diet are being highlighted in this years Salt Awareness Week"
- Anton Edelmann - Chef
"I am pleased that the dangers of a high salt diet are being highlighted in the forthcoming National Salt Awareness Week. I fully support the event and urge the public to think about how much salt they consume, and to read the labels when purchasing processed foods"
- Peter Hardens - Editor of London Restaurant Guide
"I am pleased that the wide range of health problems contributed to by a high salt diet are being highlighted in the forthcoming National Salt Awareness Week. Too many restaurants and food chains are still far too liberal and unthinking in their use of salt, and seemingly in ignorance of its potential poor health consequences. But it can be nothing more than a lazy and cheap way of adding flavour to food, or a knee-jerk obeisance to tradition. I fully support the event and urge the food industry -- and in particular the restaurant trade -- to think about how much salt they add to our food"
- Nigel Denby - Author, Dietician
"I am delighted to support Salt Awareness Week. The connection between too much salt in the diet and poor health is so well understood, we really can't ignore it. Salt is an easy ingredient to reduce in our own home cooking and using GDA labels makes it easy to cut down the amount of salt we consume in the pre prepared foods we buy. GDAs (Guideline Daily Amounts) and GDA labels take the guesswork out of knowing what we should be eating. The benefit of the GDA system is that a quick glance at the GDA label on the packaging will give you all the nutritional facts you need to help you check, compare and choose the right product for you."
- Galton Blackiston - Celebrity Chef, Morston Hall
"I am pleased that the variety of health conditions contributed to by a high salt diet are being highlighted in this years National Salt Awareness Week. I fully support the event and encourage everyone to think about how much salt they are consuming. I also urge the food industry to reduce the salt that they add to processed foods."
Industry Supporters
CASH was also please to be sponsored by the following Food companies for the event:
Lo Salt, The Co-operative Group, Marks and Spencer, Heinz, Morrison's PLC, McCain Foods, Pepsico (Walkers), Waitrose, Asda and Sainsbury's.
