How to cut salt in children’s diets

By Hannah Sherwood

If UK adults are still consuming way too much salt, what about children? Their recommended maximum daily amount is even lower yet their consumption is ‘worrying’, say experts. What’s gone wrong, and what can we do about it in Salt Awareness Week?

Adults should be limiting their salt intake to 6g a day, but the maximum amount for children is much lower, at 3g for five to six-year-olds, 5g for eight to nine-year-olds, rising to 6g for those aged 13 to 17. We all know children can find it hard to resist salt laden treats like crisps, but a new study shows the salt in their diets is coming from more unexpected quarters such as breads and cereal products (36%), meat products (19%) and dairy products (11%).

‘Children, particularly teenagers, are eating a worryingly high amount of salt,’ says Katharine Jenner, registered nutritionist and campaign director of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH). ‘What is most surprising about this new study is that this salt is not coming from the salty foods you’d expect teenagers to eat, such as crisps and snacks, which account for just 5% of their daily salt intake, but from breads and cereal products, which don’t taste salty but account for a third of their daily salt intakes! Children are not choosing to eat salty foods - the salt is hidden in there by the food industry and they must take it out.’

WHY ALL THE FUSS?

‘Salt puts up our blood pressure – the highest risk factor for stroke,’ explains Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH). ‘Reducing our intake would save thousands of people from suffering and dying from a stroke.’ In fact, raised blood pressure accounts for 62% of strokes and almost half of all cases of coronary heart disease. But that’s not all. According to CASH, a high salt diet is linked to many other conditions, including stomach cancer, osteoporosis, kidney disease, kidney stones and obesity, as well as exacerbating the symptoms of asthma, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, says, ‘Childhood and adolescence is an important time for the development of our tastes and of food habits that can last a lifetime. Salt is a learned taste, so it’s worrying that so many of the children and young people in this study were already consuming more than the recommended amounts.’

DO A QUICK LABEL CHECK

Healthy Food Guide expert and nutrition scientist Bridget Benelam says, ‘It's important to check food labels for salt, especially those we eat everyday like bread and cereal. Although a lot has been done to reduce the salt content of foods, most of us are still eating too much. Look at traffic light labels for an at-a-glance comparison of salt content or check the nutrition information on the back of pack.’

Victoria Taylor adds, ‘The majority of salt in children’s and young people’s diets is coming from manufactured foods. This reinforces the need for continued food industry efforts to reduce the salt in their products. However, the adoption of colour-coded labels by manufacturers and retailers is also important as it will help parents and children make healthier choices.’

If a product has more than 1.5g salt/0.5g sodium per 100g of food it is considered high in salt. Aim for those with less that 0.3g salt/0.1g sodium

5 EASY WAYS TO USE LESS SALT AT HOME

*When you do use it in cooking or at the table, measure it out with your fingertips rather than pouring liberally from the tub or salt shaker.

*Buy a salt shaker with the smallest hole you can find – and look out for grinders that can be adjusted so less comes out.

*Opt for fine table salt rather than coarse crystals.

*Don’t rely on flavoured salts – choose other flavour enhancers instead (see below).

*Consider a reduced-sodium salt alternative, such as LoSalt.

10 WAYS TO FLAVOUR YOUR COOKING

Instead of relying on salt, use these natural flavour enhancers:  

*Fresh or dried herbs

*Pepper

*Fresh ginger

*Tomatoes and tomato purée

*Lemon (and other citrus) juice and zest

*Garlic

*Onions

*Celery

*Chilli (fresh or dried)

*Red or white wine

Traffic light labelling gets the green light

By Sioned Quirke, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association

Traditionally, companies have used different nutrition labelling systems on the front of their packaging, making it difficult for consumers to check and compare products – until now.

From today (19 June), a standardised system will roll out which, although voluntary, is a major step towards helping us make informed choices about the foods we buy.

Consistency is key when comparing any type of information. This new system allows us to check how healthy (or not) a product is in a simple and clear way.

It’s a simple but effective format, using the words "high", "medium" and "low" colour coded respectively in red, amber and green to let people know how much fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories the product contains. Such at-a-glance labelling will make identifying healthy options quicker and easier than the old method of having to fathom the hard-to-read tables on the reverse of a product.

The labels will also provide information on guideline daily amounts (GDAs) for different nutrients, so consumers will have an idea of how that particular product will contribute to their daily diet.

We all have a responsibility to help improve the health of our nation as we see obesity, diabetes and hypertension increase. This step made by the government and the food industry demonstrates a commitment to address these issues. And with the increasing amount of processed and pre-prepared foods we are consuming, this intervention couldn’t come at a better time. This is a voluntary scheme, but we are hopeful more manufacturers will join the standardised labeling movement.

Other reactions to the news:

Anna Soubry, public health minister, says: “The UK already has the largest number of products using a front-of-pack label in Europe, but we know that people get confused by the variety of labels used. Research shows that, of all the current schemes, people like this label the most and they can use the information to make healthier choices. By having all major retailers and manufacturers signed up to the consistent label, we will all be able to see at a glance what is in our food. This is why I want to see more manufacturers signing up and using the label.” 

Robin Hewings, head of policy at Diabetes UK, says: “The government’s decision to announce a colour-coded food labelling system is an important step in the effort to reduce the number of people in the UK who are overweight or obese. These people are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic health conditions, so need easy access to information that can help them lead healthier lives and reduce their risk.

Effective front-of-pack food labelling also helps people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes manage their condition, as a diet high in fat, salt and sugar increases their risk of developing serious complications such as blindness, amputations and stroke. However, EU law requires a voluntary approach, which means there are still large parts of the food market not covered by traffic light labelling. It means we are missing opportunities for people to understand what is in the food they buy. We want to see all retailers and food manufacturers adopting the recommended labelling scheme and actively promoting it as a way for people to make healthier eating choices.”