Source: Australian Food News

The George Institute for Global Health has called on the Government to take tougher action on reformulating products to reduce salt, in an effort to reduce hypertension (or high blood pressure) - a condition caused mostly by salt, which kills large numbers of Australians each year through strokes, heart attacks and heart failure.

The UK, US and Canada are far ahead of Australia in salt reduction, having set targets for 80 food categories, compared to Australia’s 9. The UK has already posted a reduction in national salt intake, saving thousands of lives each year.

New research, to be published in the Journal of Hypertension, shows 32 countries now have national programs to reduce population salt intake. Central to the success of these programs is the establishment of targets for the maximum amount of salt in different foods.

To read the full story, follow this link: www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2011/05/19/salt-reduction-australia-lagging-on-reformulation-targets.html