History
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the world and raised blood pressure from a systolic above 115 mmHg is one of the most important direct causes, accounting for more than 60% of all strokes and approximately 50% of all heart disease. The evidence strongly demonstrates that a high salt intake is a major cause of elevated blood pressure and that the benefits of a modest reduction in salt intake are large. For instance, a reduction in salt intake of 6 g/day through the fall in blood pressure that would occur would cause an approximate 24% reduction in stroke and a 18% reduction in coronary heart disease mortality.
Based on the evidence, governments and the WHO have recommended a reduction in salt intake from the current worldwide intake of 10 to 15 g/day to a maximum of 5 to 6 g/day. In most countries approximately 80% of a person's salt intake comes from processed and catered foods, the salt content of which the consumer has no control over, often has no knowledge about and is usually very high. This accounts for why salt intake in most countries is so high, because it is passive, i.e. it is added to food without the consent and, very often, without the knowledge of consumers making it very difficult to avoid.
The only way to reduce salt intake is by a slow reduction in the amount of salt in all foods where it has been added; therefore the onus is on the food industry to reduce the salt content of their products. Studies by the WHO have shown that reducing population salt intake by this approach is one of the most cost effective strategies for improving health. It also has the added benefit that it does not require a change in consumer behaviour .
This strategy has been adopted in the UK and salt concentration in nearly all categories of food is falling. This illustrates that it is possible to reduce the salt concentration of nearly all foods and this public health strategy now needs to be spread out worldwide.
Therefore, to encourage action on salt worldwide, we have set up a World Action group ( WASH ) based on the model that was developed in the UK of CASH (the Consensus Action on Salt and Health): www.actionsalt.org.uk. CASH is a group of specialists concerned with salt and its effects on health. CASH is working to reach a consensus with the food industry and Government over the harmful effects of a high salt diet, and bring about a reduction in the amount of salt in processed foods, catered foods and restaurant food, as well as salt added to cooking, and at the table. They have been very successful in raising awareness of the importance of salt and have largely been responsible for determining the Department of Health and Food Standards Agency current policy on salt reduction.
WASH , like CASH, will work to reduce salt in the diet worldwide by exerting pressure on multi-national food companies to reduce the salt content of their products. WASH will also approach different country's ministry of health to influence government policy on salt reduction highlighting the need for a salt reduction strategy. At the same time WASH will work closely with the WHO and has already stimulated a new initiative by the WHO to take a more coherent strategy towards salt reduction worldwide. There is no doubt that a leading group of worldwide experts will have enormous influence on the media and food industry.