Scientists help food manufacturers meet salt targets

By Mike Stones

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Salt levels Food standards agency

Scientists help food manufacturers meet salt targets
Several UK research organisations have answered a call made only three days ago for scientific support to help food manufacturers meet their commitments on salt reduction under the Public Health Responsibility Deal.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) invited help from food research groups and universities throughout Europe to help meet salt reduction targets. The Responsibility Deal, launched last March, included a pledge to cut salt levels by another 15% by the end of next year.

Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, BRC deputy food director, told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Further reductions in salt levels, particularly in some difficult areas, will be possible only with scientific help​.”

Difficult areas

Difficult areas included: meat, particularly bacon, sausages and burgers, bread, cheeses, cakes and pastries, puddings and canned fish. Without scientific help, further salt reductions in such categories could not be made without compromising taste, shelflife and food safety, she said.

To identify that help, BRC and FDF have jointly launched a tender process for a £18,000 research project. In a letter to stakeholders throughout Europe, Martinez-Inchausti wrote: “This research should provide a comprehensive overview of the technical solutions, including processing and ingredients currently under development, together with an assessment of the benefits and barriers resulting from using such technologies​.”

Tenders have to be submitted by September 23 and the winner will be announced in the second week of October. The project should be completed by next March.

Martinez-Inchausti added that BRC and FDF would recommend promising projects to government with the aim of securing extra funding to accelerate progress.

Salt expertise

But, she said, the Department of Health had warned BRC that “a lot of people who claim to have salt expertise, don’t have it in practice.”

Meanwhile, she praised the ‘fantastic progress’ BRC members have made in reducing salt levels in food over recent years.

Terry Jones, FDF communications director, agreed: "Food manufacturers have already gone to great lengths to reduce the salt content of many of the UK's much-loved brands while keeping the great taste that consumers demand.

“Nevertheless with the challenging 2012 targets on the horizon, we are funding this work on behalf of our members to identify and assess technical solutions to further reduce salt in key categories​."

Food and drink manufacturers have been working to reduce salt levels since 2008 when the Food Standards Agency published a consultation on cutting dietary salt.

The hit list for salt reduction

  • Meat and meat products; especially sliced meats, cured meats (pepperoni), bacon, sausages, burgers and meat pies
  • Bread; particularly speciality and morning goods
  • Cheese; particularly soft cheeses and cheddar
  • Extruded and pelleted snacks
  • Cakes, pastries and fruit pies
  • Pesto and other thick sauces
  • All other puddings
  • Canned fish

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