Salt Targets Cause Concern
The International Dairy Federation (IDF) has called for the functional uses of salt to be taken into consideration, following World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to lower sodium in all foods. WHO recommended daily salt intake be lowered to 5 grams per day from 6 grams per day (about 1,900 milligrams and 2,300 milligrams, respectively), but IDF said salt plays a crucial role in cheese-making and needed to be understood in exploration of such targets. In a study carried out by dairy experts and published by the organization, IDF said it recognized the impact of salt intake on human health but added, “Salt has been used for thousands of years to preserve foods by inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms and for technological properties and functionalities.” – FoodManufacture.co.uk
Turkey Is Ripe for Innovative Salt Reduction
Turkey lags behind Western Europe when it comes to sodium reduction, but the country has an openness that makes it ripe for bakers to introduce innovative technologies, according to Leatherhead Food Research. “There’s a real opportunity for the bakery and snacks sector to innovate and educate as well as adopt some of the good, established salt reduction philosophies that have become commonplace in Western Europe,” said Steve Osborn, Leatherhead’s business innovation manager. Emerging markets, such as Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey, were more accepting of sodium reduction innovation and less skeptical than their Western European counterparts, he added. – Bakeryandsnacks.com
Salt, Sugar, and Fat: Where Are We Now, and Where Can We Go?
A lot of progress has been made to reduce salt, sugar, and fat consumption to improve European diets and cut rates of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, but not all targets have been met, and there are disagreements among health professionals about future strategy. Despite positive steps in reducing levels of salt in Europe—and especially in the United Kingdom—many health and government organizations are pushing for further reductions. However, some dieticians and policy makers are skeptical whether future reductions will improve public health and believe that it could do more harm than good in some cases. – FoodNavigator.com
Curbing Smoking, Drinking, Salt Intake Can Prevent 37 Million Premature Deaths Globally
Curbing smoking and drinking, high salt intake, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and obesity could prevent more than 37 million premature deaths by 2025, according to an analysis recently published in The Lancet. If globally adopted targets for reducing these risk factors were met, the risk for dying prematurely from heart or lung disease, stroke, cancer, or diabetes could fall by 22% for men and 19% for women between 2010 and 2025. “Worldwide, this improvement is equivalent to delaying or preventing at least 16 million deaths in people aged 30 to 70 years and 21 million in those aged 70 years or older over 15 years,” the researchers said. The targets are to reduce salt intake by 30%, tobacco use by 30%, alcohol consumption by 10%, and high blood pressure by 25%. The researchers used national population data and epidemiological models for their calculations. – The Voice of Russia