Consumers are ‘missing’ salt in their food

A leading low sodium salt manufacturer has attributed increases in salt sales to consumers compensating for reduced salt levels in their food. Sales of regular table salt have increased by 32% in volume over the year to September 2009, according to new data.

While great pressure has been put on food manufacturers by retailers and government to reduce the salt content of foods, sales of regular salt have increased by over a third in the last year, according to sales and marketing manager, Caroline Klinge at Klinge Foods, who quoted research from Nielsen Data.
She attributed this increase largely to consumers finding that foods were not tasty enough and compensating by adding regular shop-bought salt. “This is no good for the health of the nation, despite the best efforts of the food industry.”
She also criticised two large retailers because they had delisted LoSalt, a product manufactured by Klinge Foods. LoSalt has 66% less sodium than regular table, sea and rock salt and is sold through retail and to food manufacturers. Klinge claimed that two major retailers had refused the company’s request for a price increase, despite a surge in manufacturing costs at Klinge Foods. Over the last two years, she said that the cost of potash - a major ingredient used in LoSalt - had increased by more than 350% due to increased competition for the product from fertiliser companies.
“It is a time when retailers should be promoting low sodium alternatives, not delisting them.” Klinge said that consumers have contacted the company to complain that they cannot source suitable low sodium alternatives, and, in retail, sales of low sodium alternatives had decreased by around 10% in volume in the last year to September 2009. This was “largely because low sodium salt manufacturers are unable to absorb rocketing costs, and have been delisted as a result of being unable to secure higher prices”, she said.
The Food and Drink Federation said that it would not comment specifically on the data. But a spokeswoman commented: “It is important to continue to look at urinary analysis data for the UK population to ensure that actual sodium intake is decreasing. This is part of the Food Standards Agency’s current approach and crucial to the correct evaluation of the salt reduction campaign.
“We need to have realistic targets for salt reduction to ensure that consumers can adapt to new recipes gradually and we need caterers to implement reductions consistently with our approach.”