The importance of community marketing programs about reducing salt

Abstract

Today the actual salt consumption in Europe is far more than 8-12 grams/person/day. The salt intake recommendation by WHO is 5g per day. According to the results of the National Food Consumption Study (2009, Hungary) the average sodium intake is 6.0g per day (15.0g per day salt). The quantity is so large not only because of food preparation but also because of food choice, as 75% of salt intake comes from food products, 10% from the original salt content of foods, and 15% from salting. Recognizing this, some leading countries (GB, Finland) have organized national programmes for the reduction of salt consumption in collaboration with the food industry, food producers, and retailers. The aim of food conversion and community marketing programmes is to raise public awareness. One of the goals for the industry is the gradual reduction (by 20-25%) of the quantity of salt in foods. By replacing high salt-content food we can also reduce the sodium intake from processed food. To some extent, regular table salt (sodium chloride) can be replaced with other mineral salts that do not contain sodium- or potassium-chloride. Most countries aim to reduce salt (sodium) intake with national initiatives. The results suggest that this is a time-consuming process; however, even a modest reduction can significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, thus improving public health. In Hungary we have a heart-healthy program, contributing to a balanced diet with a number of products with logo awarded through a strict set of criteria. Keywords: salt intake, salt reduction, community marketing, processed food, heart disease