Update on Salt Level Reductions

Published: 04 July 2007

You may have seen the recent coverage on salt levels in bread.

This has been a key priority for the baking industry, with bakers working hard to cut salt levels in bread without compromising on taste and quality.  There has been a 25% reduction over the past twenty years, and in 2005 the industry achieved a further 5% salt reduction.

Given salt’s critical function in dough formation, bakers aim to achieve salt reductions without diminishing the flavour.  This would be counterproductive to the objective of improving diets given bread’s role in a healthy, balanced diet.

Focus on Salt Level Reductions
The Federation of Bakers continues to work with the Food Standards Agency (FSA)  to monitor progress towards the 2010 salt target.  This has been set at 0.43g sodium per 100 g (equivalent to 1.1g salt per 100g) and a review is scheduled for 2008.

The research released (1 March) by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) claims there are large differences in salt levels between the 138 wrapped breads on sale in the UK.  According to CASH, 50 of the loaves analysed in its survey contain more than the FSA's target salt level for bread of 1.1g salt per 100g.

However the CASH announcement is misleading by not making it clear this target bread salt level is marked for 2010 and has been agreed at 0.43g sodium per 100g (equivalent to 1.1g salt per 100g).  CASH also fail to highlight the progress in significant salt level reduction which the baking industry has achieved to date.

According to the FSA, “Since November 2005, when the baking industry announced its plans to reduce salt in bread, the industry has made significant strides in meeting the targets agreed with the FSA.”