Salt Action Summary

February 2008

World Salt Awareness Week

Sweden marked the event involving scientists and the Swedish Food Agency by issuing a press release, which occurred alongside an EU food conference. Professor Mattias and his team are now planning to organize a National Salt Symposium this autumn.

2006

The Swedish food industry (Svenska Livsmedelsverket, SLV) have developed a special labelling system for healthy foods known as the Keyhole Mark, but only foods that were low in fat and high in fibre could display the Keyhole. A recent study at Göteborg University however, showed that men aged between18-20 years had a very high salt excretion (around 11.7 g/day) and the highest quartile was as high as 17.5 g/day. These data were taken very seriously by the Food Standards Agency in Sweden and the Keyhole mark has now been extended to foods that are lower in salt. However, meat and fish products are apparently exempt from the Keyhole labelling as the manufacturers refused to agree to this. Nevertheless, work is continuing on reductions in salt intake in Sweden and there is to be a meeting about salt at the Swedish Medical Society in November 2006.