Development of salt targets

It has been our aim to ensure that the final salt reduction targets are set at challenging levels that will have a real impact on consumers' intakes, while also taking into account food safety and technical issues. The categories of food covered by the FSA's initiative are wide-ranging, and include dietary staples such as meat products (particularly bacon and ham), bread, breakfast cereals and cheese, which alone account for around 43% of salt intakes in the UK diet. In addition targets have been set for convenience foods (ready meals, pizza, sandwiches etc.,) including a wide range of snacks - both savoury products and cakes and pastries. Sauces and condiments are also covered, because although they may be used in small amounts they can contain relatively high levels of salt.

The FSA believes that the targets offer good progress towards reducing levels of salt in manufactured products. We are aware of the range of technical and food safety issues that are relevant, and acknowledge the general willingness of those involved in the production of these foods to continue to work to overcome them, for example, the bacon targets will require virtually all producers to change their processing techniques in order to achieve the target set.

In many areas the targets are building upon a history of voluntary reductions already made by manufacturers and retailers. The type of reductions already achieved include:

• Members of the Federation of Bakers have reduced salt levels in pre-packed, sliced standard breads by as much as 30% up to 2005.
• Breakfast cereals - the Association of Cereal Manufacturers has indicated that a 33% reduction in salt levels has been made in breakfast cereals between 1998 and 2005, including a 25% reduction in the salt content of Kellogg's Cornflakes - (and other Cornflake based cereals).
• Members of the Food and Drink Federation have sought to reduce the salt content of soups and sauces by 30% by the end of 2005, in addition to wider plans laid down in the FDF's Food and Health manifesto.
• Significant reductions of salt in savoury snacks, cakes and pastries, and biscuits, have also been achieved by individual manufacturers.
• Heinz has reduced salt levels across its product range by between 11 and 18%.
• Kraft has lowered the salt in its Dairylea spreads, slices and cheese snack products by around a third.
• Major retailers including ASDA, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury, Tesco, and Waitrose all claim to have made significant progress with salt reduction.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment that takes account of the costs to business and other stakeholders of the salt targets, and assesses the health benefits to consumers, has been prepared and published.

The Agency will review industry progress against the final targets via the Agency's self-reporting scheme. In the light of independent assessments of the potential for reduction, ongoing research, and the results of urinary monitoring we will consider, in 2008, whether and if so what further work needs to be done in order to achieve the 6g target for average population intakes by consumers. This review will be carried out in close consultation with our stakeholders to enable open discussion on the successes achieved, and the technical barriers to salt reduction.

In light of the consultation responses, whereby the majority of respondents to the consultation felt that interim targets would not help with monitoring progress and could result in confusion, the FSA does not intend to set interim population targets.

Work to develop the framework for self-reporting will continue in consultation with stakeholders following publication of the targets. The FSA will take into account the comments submitted to its public consultation in the development of the scheme. Ultimately the data collected needs to provide sufficient information to enable the Agency to track progress towards achieving the targets without imposing an excessive administrative burden on industry.