Aims
Our Mission
World Action on Salt and Health's mission is to achieve a reduction in dietary salt intake around the world from the current intake of 10-15g/day to the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 5g/day. This fall in salt intake and the resulting fall in blood pressure would lead to major reductions in both incidents of, and deaths from Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) i.e. stroke, heart failure and heart attacks, with a major reduction in the disability that results from CVD.
Our Aims
Food Industry:
• To reach a consensus with the food manufacturers that there is strong evidence that salt is a major cause of high blood pressure and has other adverse health effects such as osteoporosis and stomach cancer;
• Act as a global monitor highlighting internationally marketed products that are high in salt;
• Persuade international food companies to employ a global salt reduction plan, so that not only will the salt content of their processed food products be reduced but it will be uniform in each country they market in;
• To ensure a standard clear and comprehensive front of pack nutritional labelling system, for the salt content of all processed foods, that will be applied universally i.e. the Multiple Traffic Light labelling system developed by the Food Standards Agency in the UK .
Government
• To ensure the body of evidence from the scientific community about the dangers of excessive salt consumption, is translated into policy by each individual Government around the world;
• Sharing best practice for salt reduction strategies with Governments and health organisations worldwide.
Home Cooking
• Reduce salt added during cooking and at the table by media publicity and a public health campaign e.g. the Food Standards Agency campaign in the UK – Salt - eat no more than 6g a day ( http://www.salt.gov.uk/index.shtml ).
An average reduction of 6 grams a day over the next decade could easily be achieved if the food industry acts. Through the fall in blood pressure that would ensue, this reduction in salt intake will have a large impact on reducing strokes by approximately 24% and heart attacks by 18%, as well as having other health benefits for the global population. A 6 gram reduction in salt intake would prevent 5.2 million incidents of CVD a year half of which are fatal.