Salt

Vital role

The human body needs sodium chloride, commonly known as salt. This vital substance helps to control the body's fluid balance and the way muscles and nerves work. The body is generally very efficient in regulating the amount of sodium. If we eat too much salt, we become thirsty. This encourages us to drink fluids, which speeds up the excretion of sodium through the kidneys.

Salt and health

High salt intake has been linked to a number of health problems including high blood pressure (hypertension) and osteoporosis. There is now reasonably strong evidence to suggest that people with high blood pressure benefit from a diet containing less salt, thus reducing the incidence of stroke. In fact, most people would benefit from reducing salt intake to a healthy level.

Some people - including the very young and people with kidney disease - are unable to excrete sodium efficiently and so regulate body fluid. For example, elderly people's kidneys become less efficient, meaning they need to monitor their salt intake carefully.

How much salt?

Waitrose and most UK retailers support the voluntarily agreed Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) for salt, which is 6g a day for adults. National Diet Surveys have shown the UK diet contains too much salt, with the average adult consuming 9g a day. The Government recommends this is reduced to no more than 6g a day for adults and less for children:

• Children 11 and over, 6g per day
• Children 7-10 years, 5g per day
• Children 4-6 years, 3g per day* Children 1-3 years, 2g per day
• Infants should not be given salt because their kidneys are not fully matured until they are one year old.

Occasionally the GDA might not apply. For example, during exercise salt is lost from the body through sweating and muscle cramps may result if it is not replaced.

Sodium and salt labelling

All Waitrose own-brand products are labelled with the sodium amount per100g and per serving. Our products also carry the GDA for salt, plus the amount per serving, so you can see at a glance the amount of salt a food contains and how much it contributes to your daily intake.

To calculate the amount of salt from sodium, simply multiply the sodium content by 2.5. For example, if food has a sodium level of 0.2g per serving, the amount of salt will be 0.2 x 2.5, which is equal to 0.5g salt per serving.

Foods containing 0.3g salt or less per 100g are considered low salt. High salt foods contain 1.5g salt, or more, per 100g. There is no need to avoid all high salt foods if you plan your diet well and do not exceed the GDA of 6g a day.

Salt reduction tips:

• Don't salt water for vegetables
• Use herbs and spices, lemon and lime juice to flavour foods
• Choose stronger flavoured cheese for cooking - you can use less but still have all the flavour
• Use fresh stock not stock cubes
• Don't put salt on the table - your taste buds will adapt to less salty food in less than a month
• Salt replacers such as Lo Salt or SOLO can help with a lower salt diet but if you have a kidney condition consult your doctor first
• Snack on fruit and unsalted nuts
• Choose products, such as crisps, with low salt or no added salt
• Eat cured meats only occasionally

How can Waitrose help?

Waitrose has a salt reduction policy, which means we are doing a lot of work behind the scenes to help you eat less salt. The Food Standards Agency has set salt reduction targets for achievement by 2010; we aim to meet these by 2007, and many of our products have already reached them.

Where can I get further information?

Nutrition Advice Service: Waitrose Limited Doncastle Road Bracknell Berkshire RG12 8YA Tel: 0800 188884
Waitrose.com email: nutrition@waitrose.co.uk

Food Standards Agency
www.salt.gov.uk