2015

A recent survey of the salt content of bread in Switzerland has found that the average salt content has decreased over the past four years. A total of 335 samples from 171 bakeries were analysed, finding an average salt content of 1.46g per 100g of bread compared to 1.74g/100g in 2011.

2013

In 2013, the WHO reviewed salt reduction activities across the European region and produced the report 'Mapping salt reduction initiatives in the WHO European Region'. Below is a summary of salt reduction activities in Spain, as reported in this document:

The Federal Office of Public Health developed a salt reduction plan, with a short term aim of achieving a 16% reduction in salt intake, reducing to 8g per day.

A 2007 study in Lausanne with a sample of 251 people found that average intake was 8g per day, however a more recent study in Geneva in 2012 found that average intake was 10.6g for men and 8.1g for women. Bread was found to contribute the most salt to the diet, followed by cheese, meats and soups.  

The Federal Office of Public Health has held discussions with more than 30 representatives of the food industry to reach an agreement on salt reduction of processed foods.

March 2009

Salt reduction is now one of the key topics of the Federal Office of Public Health, as part of the National Programme on Diet and Physical Activity. First on the agenda is salt reduction in communal catering and in processed foods.

On behalf of the Federal Office of Public Health, researchers at Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland are conducting a study to identify and analyze critical points of salt entry into communal catering. With the data they obtain, Bern University wishes to propose a catalogue of measures, aiming at reducing salt intake in Swiss communal catering.