Page 33 - The European Baking Ingredients Market Report 2022 - Volume 1

European Baking Ingredients Market Report 2022
REDUCING EUROPE’S SALT INTAKE 33
INGREDIENTS

Despite most European countries

having some sort of initiative to

nationally reduce population salt intake, there

is still a long way to go to reach the

recommended intake .

countries. This can involve Greece, where tomato juice Norway, Poland, Sweden and the
implementing guidelines in public and pastes are also subject to UK. These countries continue to
institutions such as schools and legislated maximum salt levels. rely on voluntary targets, despite
hospitals, to reduce the saltiness of Similar measures taken in other mixed success.
food available or restricting the sale countries include Bulgaria, where
of high salt products. 12 salt content is limited in certain The UK was the first country in
cheeses, meat products and the world to pioneer voluntary
In Latvia, for example, the vegetable relish and certain ready- salt targets for the food industry
government has set maximum salt to-eat products, in Croatia . to work towards. Between 2006
13
levels for food served in hospitals, and 2011, salt levels in many foods
care homes and education institutions The impact of Portugal’s mandatory fell by 20% - 40%, population salt
and, in Portugal, advertising food salt target is especially clear. intake fell, as did deaths from stroke
and drink high in energy, salt, sugar, Portugal was one of the first and heart attacks. However, since
18
saturated fat and trans fats has been countries in Europe to successfully this success, progress has stalled
prohibited in venues, including introduce a law limiting salt and it has become clear to us that
schools, since 2019. 13 content in bread, in 2009. National mandatory – not voluntary – targets
legislation was introduced to set are now the best way to get further
Food reformulation an upper limit of 550 mg sodium action on salt in the UK. 19
The second most popular policy (1.4 g salt) per 100 g bread. 15,16
intervention is food reformulation, This reduction alone led to a fall Front of pack labelling
with 57% of European countries in population salt intake of 1.7 g Front of pack labelling is also
undertaking some sort of activity to per person, per day. The limit has a popular measure that 47% of
reduce salt levels in processed and since been gradually reduced to European countries use to address
packaged foods. Unlike trans fats, 1.3 g/100 g in bread in 2019 and high salt intake. Not only do clear,
16
12
where an EU-wide regulation exists most recently to 1g salt/100 g in colour coded labels or warning
to legally limit levels in food, no bread, from January 2022. This stickers provide consumers with
14
pan-European legislation exists to has facilitated gradual, consistent useful information on salt content,
limit salt levels. However, twelve reductions in salt content, to allow more importantly they encourage
countries including Portugal, consumers’ palates to adjust. the food industry to reformulate
Belgium, Greece, Hungary and the their products with less salt.
Netherlands have tried a legislative Prior to this legislation, Portugal had
approach to limiting salt levels a voluntary agreement between Finland was one of the first
in food. In fact, compared with the Portuguese Government and countries to adopt this strategy in
other regions globally, Europe has the Portuguese Association of the early 1990s – implementing
the highest number of countries Bakery Manufacturers to reduce salt labelling regulations, including
implementing mandatory targets salt levels in bread, thus providing “high salt” warning labels. These
17
for salt levels in foods, although a good example of how a country were highly effective and by
12
it should be noted that most can move from voluntary measures mandating these labels on the front
legislation is focused on bread to legislated targets for countries of food packs, Finland was able
only. Further measures exist in such as France, Austria, Croatia, to achieve significant reductions

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