Lots of people eat too much salt. In order to reduce salt consumption, the WHO has now presented new recommendations for maximum salt contents in various foods.
Worldwide, around three million deaths annually are due to excessive sodium or salt consumption, according to the WHO in their recent report. Too much salt especially increases the risk of high blood pressure and, as a result, of cardiovascular diseases.
The WHO recommends an intake of five grams of salt (about one teaspoon) a day. According to the Regional Office Europe According to the WHO, however, the average consumption in the EU is around eight to eleven grams – i.e. twice as much.
How much salt does the WHO recommend in products?
By 2025, the WHO wants to ensure that people worldwide adhere to the recommended salt consumption on average. Above all, this should work via maximum values for salt in processed foods – because people in industrialized nations in particular take in most of the salt through such products. According to the WHO regional office, around 70 to 75 percent of salt intake in the EU comes from processed foods and only 25 to 30 percent we add ourselves at the table or when cooking.
In order to define suitable food categories and maximum values for salt content, the WHO has looked at existing guidelines and recommendations in various countries. The results were then evaluated by experts.
Here are a few examples of salt limits in food according to the new WHO recommendation (in milligrams per 100 grams):
- Cookies: 265 mg
- Chips: 500 mg
- young to medieval cheese: 520-625 mg
- Canned food: 225 mg
- Pizza: 450 mg
- Bread (yeast / sourdough): 330 mg
These maximum values are initially only recommendations and form an argumentation basis for the dialogue with the food and beverage industry. The United Nations Food Systems Summit will take place in September 2021, at which the WHO wants to achieve voluntary commitments in the food industry.
Tip: If you cook a lot yourself, you can more easily control and reduce your salt intake. At Utopia you will find numerous delicious and easy recipes. You can also get more information about salt and health in this article: Too Much Salt: Signs and How to Avoid Salty Foods.
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