Industry continues to slice salt levels from formulations with Walkers crisps, part of PepsiCo, announcing they will cut salt levels across Walkers crisps, Baked and Sensations brands by 10 per cent in 2009.
The food industry has again come under fire for the amount of salt used in products as a survey found that levels had stayed ‘essentially the same’ over the last three years.
New research has shown that many commonly consumed breakfast items contain ‘surprising’ levels of salt – but food manufacturers point to the progress they have already made in reformulating products.
The drive to reduce salt has introduced further obstacles for the baking industry to control water activity, which is a major contributor to a product’s characteristics.
Ingredients and flavours supplier Synergy has developed a range of
natural bread aromas designed to capture artisan bakery qualities
in products with a reduced salt content.
Many UK biscuit and cake products have reached their salt-reduction
limit, thanks to bakers' efforts to cut salt components, according
to Barbara Gallani, manager of the Food and Drink Federation's
Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate...
Efforts to reduce salt in packaged foods involve more than just
salt replacers and flavour enhancers, as suppliers contribute to
overall efforts by tweaking processes to make lower sodium
ingredients.
An industry body yesterday said consumers are unaware of the high
salt content on some sweet products such as popcorn, cereals and
hot chocolate, sparking calls for reformulation and improved
labelling.
Some manufacturers are deliberately 'hoodwinking' consumers over
salt content, claims a new report from UK regulators that says more
action needs to be taken for salt reduction targets to be met by
2010.
The UK's Institute of Food Science & Technology has published
an updated information statement on salt and salt reduction - one
of the hottest topics in the food industry at the moment.
UK food formulators and manufacturers should be applauded for their
progress on salt reduction, say the findings of a survey from the
Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH).
US based ingredients company Savoury Systems International (SSI)
has expanded its range of salt replacers - helping bakers appeal to
the growing number of consumers seeking to cut salt from their
diet.
One of the UK's leading crisp manufacturers, Walkers, has been
reprimanded by an advertising authority for 'misleading' adverts
detailing the reduced salt content in its crisp brands.
The food industry is facing up to the issue of salt reduction. But
how can this compound - so important in the preparation and storage
of food - be replaced without the consumer tasting the difference?
The food industry must take responsibility for the continued
excessive consumption of salt, according to professor Graham
McGregor of St Georges University of London.
Wrangling between the UK dairy industry and the country's food
watchdog is set to continue over salt slashing targets, after both
failed to reach an agreement to cut salt in blue cheese.
Newly published salt reduction targets have been cautiously
welcomed by the UK food industry as being 'more realistic than the
2005 proposals', though health campaigners are furious.
The market for salt-reduced food formulations set to rise in
Ireland as government and scientists launch campaign to slice the
salt from consumer diets.
Joining the lively salt debate scientists at Europe's food watchdog
today issues an opinion concerning the upper limit for sodium
intake and confirm current consumption levels are a risk factor in
heart and renal diseases, reports...
Condemned for contributing to the worsening health problems in the
population, food makers are under orders to slash salt levels in
their processed food formulations but replacing this cheap flavour
enhancer is a challenge for food...
Kellogg has moved to slash salt in its Corn Flakes by a quarter as
the UK's Food Standards Agency promises to focus in on cereals in
its public campaign to reduce consumer salt intake, reports
Chris Mercer.
Irish Consumers are still eating twice as much salt as they should
be and bread is one of the biggest culprits, according to a new
scientific report that recommends a UK-style labelling format and
that food firms spend more money...
As governments challenge the high consumption of salt in their
citizens' diets, US researchers shed light on a controversial
30-year-old theory that the high rate of hypertension in certain
ethnic groups is caused, in part, by...
Bread has been highlighted as the biggest single source of excess
salt intake in Ireland, according to the country's Food Safety
Authority, which is now stepping up the pressure on Irish bakers to
act, reports Chris Mercer.
UK bakers have joined their food industry colleagues in backing a
new campaign to slash salt levels in food products and consumer
diets, but warned against taking things too far, writes Chris
Mercer.
Food makers are criticised again for the high salt content in food
products as campaign group CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and
Health) publishes new survey saying sandwiches on sale at retail
outlets are so salty they should carry...
The UK government announced this week that food manufacturers could
be forced to label food as 'high in salt' if they fail to
make significant progress in reducing the amount in their products.
A statement on the 10 Downing...
Despite commitments to reduce the salt in processed food,
manufacturers continue to receive criticism over the issue with the
UK Food Standard Agency highlighting this week high levels of salt
in ready meals.
The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has called for public sector
caterers and their suppliers to reduce the amount of salt used in
their food production and supplies of processed snacks and foods.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has added its voice to the
calls for more information on sodium content, in particular about
the dangers of high levels of salt in the diet.
British food manufacturers have pledged to cut the levels of salt
in breakfast cereals, soups and sauces over the next few years, a
positive response to growing concerns over salt content.
The UK Institute of Food Science & Technology, through its
Public Affairs and Technical & Legislative Committees, has
authorised an updated information statement on salt that replaces
that of September 1999. Read below for...
Reviewing current science on salt and its effects on health, UK
scientists say that while there is no proven evidence to support
intake restriction guidelines in the general population, no-one
would be disadvantaged by reducing their...
