Campaign support

As part of its salt campaign, the Food Standards Agency has been engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including key industry organisations, charities and other non-governmental organisations. Below are quotes from some of the organisations that are supporting the Agency's salt campaign.

See the Our partners page for details of organisations that we have been working with especially closely on activities to support the campaign.

See the Industry activity page for details of what the food industry is doing to reduce salt levels.

Caroline Flint MP
Public Health Minister, Department of Health

'Everybody has a role to play if we are to reach the Government's 6g per day salt target by 2010. Increasing consumer awareness is an integral part of driving the market towards lower-salt options, and complements our partnership work with the food industry to deliver across-the-board salt reductions.'

Fiona Adshead
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health

'As a public health doctor, I can see the very tangible health benefits of increased consumer awareness about the dangers of high salt intakes and the links to coronary heart disease. This emphasises the importance of working with the food industry to reduce salt in processed foods.'

Dr Tony Jewell
Chief Medical Officer, Welsh Assembly Government

'Since the Food Standards Agency introduced its salt campaign in 2004, it has raised public awareness of salt in the diet and the consequences of an intake that exceeds the 6g per day recommendation.

Health professionals in Wales are very much aware of the effects a high salt intake can have on blood pressure, leading to coronary heart disease and stroke in the longer term. With 75% of the salt eaten daily coming from processed food, this latest phase of the Agency's campaign highlights to the public the easy and simple ways to cut down on salt - such as checking labels and choosing the lower-salt option. I am pleased to give my support to the campaign.'

British Retail Consortium
Kevin Hawkins, Director General

'The BRC is happy to support the next phase of the salt campaign. Our members recognise the importance of this issue and have made sustained progress over a number of years, making significant reductions in salt in their own products and giving effective information to customers to help them make healthier choices.'

Food and Drink Federation
Melanie Leech, Director General

'Food manufacturers have made huge progress in reducing levels of salt in food. FDF supports the FSA's work to encourage consumers to check salt levels. Our members provide 'salt equivalent' information on packs, as well as the legally required 'sodium' information, where practicable. They are also increasingly providing at-a-glance information on salt on the front of packs, to help busy shoppers.'

Local Government Association

'One of the LGA's key aims is to work with a wide range of stakeholders to build healthier communities. The LGA fully supports the FSA campaign to reduce salt levels in food, which will have proven benefits particularly with regard to heart health. Local authority regulatory services will continue to work with businesses to deliver the benefits of the FSA campaign.'

British Medical Association
Professor Vivienne Nathanson, Head of Science and Ethics

'The BMA is very pleased that the FSA is launching a salt reduction campaign. Too much salt in a diet can lead to high blood pressure, which can increase a person's risk of heart disease and stroke.

The public need to be educated that simple changes to their diet can bring their salt intake down to a healthy level. For example, eating less processed food which is often high in salt, reducing the amount of salt added to cooking and not adding salt to cooked food.'

National Heart Forum
Paul Lincoln, Chief Executive

'All food retailers and manufacturers should unequivocally adopt the FSA's front-of-pack traffic light labelling system so that everyone in our society knows in an instant whether the salt in the food product is high or low according to recommended levels. This will act as a stimulus for product reformulation and a healthier food culture. Consumers want complete transparency and not hidden salt or confusing labelling. The food industry should embrace these changes wholeheartedly.'

Co-op
Debbie Robinson, Director of Food Retail Marketing

'The Co-operative Group welcomes the FSA's campaign to increase people's awareness about the need to reduce salt. We have made significant progress in reducing salt in our own-brand products and believe this, in conjunction with traffic light labelling on front of pack, is helping our customers make healthier choices'

Marks and Spencer
Sue Bell, Technical Manager for Policy and Health

'Marks and Spencer is delighted that the Food Standards Agency is launching a new phase of its salt campaign. The FSA's previous salt campaigns have been successful in raising consumer understanding that too much salt is bad for health. We feel that this next phase helps move this forward by highlighting to consumers that they need to be aware of both salt added at the table and salt that is already in foods they buy.

As a business, we are more than aware of this and so have been working to reduce salt in our foods since 1998, so much so that we have already met many of the FSA 2010 salt targets in key areas, such as ready meals, bread, pasta sauces and sandwiches. We are also committed to clear informative labelling to help consumers understand at a glance how much salt is in our foods and will continue to communicate our progress and achievements on salt reduction to both our customers and employees. We look forward to continuing to work with the FSA on future campaigns.'

Nestlé

'Nestlé is delighted to support the FSA's salt campaign by including positive messages on salt reduction on packages of Shredded Wheat and Shreddies breakfast cereals. We've reduced salt content across our whole range, with 30% reductions in our cereals in the last seven years. Across the range, Nestlé now meets the FSA 2010 targets.'

Sainsbury's

'Sainsbury's are pleased to be involved with the FSA salt reduction campaign for the third year running and are in full support of the FSA's 2010 salt targets. Our development teams and suppliers have been actively working on salt reduction and we have already achieved or exceeded these targets three to four years ahead of plan in many product categories such as soup, baked beans, standard bread, sausages and frozen pizzas.'

Age Concern
Gordon Lishman, Director General

'Older people should pay particular attention to the Food Standards Agency's salt campaign, as it could help them make a difference to their own health. Older people tend to be heavy salt users, which puts them at risk of high blood pressure, which in turn can lead to strokes and heart disease. Public education is the first step to making a difference and that is why this campaign is important. Across the country, Age Concern groups are working with older people via Senior Health Mentors to give older people advice and to help them live healthier lives, including cutting down on salt.'

Asda
Andy Bond, President

'We know our customers want us to help them eat more healthily, which is why we're working closely with the FSA to encourage customers shopping in our stores to check the amount of salt that's in their everyday food and to choose lower-salt products.

We're committed to doing all we can to make our products healthier but at the same time are making sure we're not passing on any extra cost to our customers, so they don't have to pay any more for the privilege of eating a healthier diet.'

Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers (ACFM)

'ACFM members have been reducing salt in their products for a number of years and we support the FSA's work to encourage consumers to check the salt content of their foods. Cereal manufacturers have made a significant 38% reduction in the salt levels of breakfast cereals between 1998 and 2006, meaning that cereals now on average contain only 0.36g of sodium per 100g, which equates to less than 5% of the average adult daily intake.'

Birds Eye

'Birds Eye fully supports the FSA's campaign to increase consumer awareness of the effects of eating too much salt. Our range of over 20 ready meals has already achieved salt level targets set for 2010 by the Food Standards Agency, an average 37% reduction in salt per 100 grams across the range. All Captain complete ready meals contain less than 25% of the GDA for salt for 5 to 10 year olds.'

British Cardiovascular Society
Nicholas Brooks, Director

'The British Cardiovascular Society unreservedly supports the Food Standards Agency with its campaign to educate the public about the dangers of excessive salt in their diet and of the potential benefit, in reducing their risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, to be derived from reducing their salt intake.'

British Dietetic Association

'The British Dietetic Association welcomes the continuing campaign by the FSA to raise awareness of the amount of salt in food. Knowing how to recognise salty foods and clear labelling to identify levels of salt are important steps in choosing healthier food.

Processed and convenience foods may always have a place in our diets. Helping people understand how and when to use these foods will be vital in achieving a healthy diet. Dietitians have an important role in putting this information into context for consumers and showing how to make practical changes for a healthy diet.'

British Nutrition Foundation

'Individuals are responsible for their own health. However, without clear and accurate labelling, it is hard for the public to make healthy choices and keep track of their daily salt intake. The British Nutrition Foundation supports the FSA's campaign to remind the public of the 6g per day target and to emphasise the need to check the amount of salt in the foods that we buy.'

Heart of Mersey
Modi Mwatsama, Food and Health Programme Manager

'We are delighted to be able to support the third phase of the FSA salt campaign, as eating too much salt is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This sort of public awareness raising campaign alongside product reformulation by industry and clear, simple labelling is what is needed to help tackle the high consumption levels of salt, saturated fat and other nutrients in the population.

'We will be working with partners across Merseyside to reinforce the campaign messages among members of the general public by hosting a variety of fun, interactive events in town and community centres.'

HEART UK
Michael Livingston, Director

'HEART UK welcomes the FSA's campaign to highlight the salt content of many everyday foods and to help consumers identify lower-salt alternatives. HEART UK is also encouraged by the fact that many manufacturers are reducing the levels of salt in their products, thereby increasing consumer choice.'

Heinz
Dave Woodward, President UK and Ireland

'Heinz has a long history of progressive salt reduction and is pleased to support the latest FSA campaign phase. This year Heinz launched a Reduced Sugar & Salt Ketchup with 30% less sugar and salt than the standard product, and less salt than the 2010 FSA target. Heinz remains committed to reviewing added salt levels.'

LACORS
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Chair

'Local authority regulatory services coordinated by LACORS continue to actively support the FSA campaign to reduce salt levels in food. Local authority officers will be working with food businesses to encourage them to reduce salt levels in line with the FSA guidance and considerable progress has been made in this regard. Samples will continue to be taken to assess salt levels and to monitor trends and identify food sectors and products which require further action.'

McCain

'McCain welcomes any initiative that raises awareness of health and nutritional issues. We have worked hard over the years to ensure our products are as healthy as they can be and are proud to display green traffic lights for salt on many of them. We are pleased to support the Food Standards Agency's 'Full of it' campaign.'

Medical Research Council

'The Medical Research Council welcomes this latest phase of the FSA's salt campaign. Scientific research has shown that there is a relationship between too much salt in the diet and an increased risk of high blood pressure, leading to strokes and heart disease.

The target of 6g per day is a challenging but achievable goal that will bring measurable improvements in health.'

National Consumer Council

'The National Consumer Council strongly supports the FSA's salt campaign and welcomes the continuing emphasis towards women on a low income for its third phase. Our research showed that although retailers and manufacturers have made great strides in reducing the salt levels of some products, low-income consumers are still being short-changed with supermarket economy brands. The Agency's campaign sends a clear challenge to all retailers and manufacturers to further reduce the salt content of everyday foods eaten by consumers.'

Northern Foods

'Northern Foods has been reducing salt in its products for many years. We have supported the FSA's salt campaign from the start and we are happy to confirm good progress in the continuing reduction of salt across our branded and retailer-label product ranges. Salt content is shown on all our products, to aid consumer choice, and we wish the campaign every success with the 6g per day message.'

Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)

'SACN fully supports the next phase of the FSA's salt campaign. For its report on Salt and Health (2003), SACN considered a wide range of evidence from different types of studies and concluded that high salt intake raises the risk of high blood pressure, which increases the risk of premature death from cardiovascular diseases. So reducing salt intakes to 6g a day would be of major benefit to public health, but even a small reduction in salt intake could help to reduce the burden of high blood pressure in the UK population.'

Sodexho

'As a caterer, Sodexho's role is to facilitate healthier eating. Sodexho continues to support the FSA's salt reduction campaign and is committed to working with its clients and the appropriate Government departments to promote a balanced diet and to help address the issues of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.'

Stroke Association

'High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke and over 40% of the UK's annual 150,000 strokes could be prevented by controlling it. Salt is a key contributor to high blood pressure. Understanding and reducing our salt intake is one easy way of managing our risk of stroke.'

SUSTAIN
Jeanette Longfield

'Many people don't realise that 75% of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods. That's why the FSA campaign to encourage shoppers to check the labels is so important. Choosing the lower-salt option can not only help make your diet healthier, but also sends a vital signal to food manufacturers to put less salt in their products.'

Tesco

'We're pleased to support the next phase of the FSA salt reduction campaign. Our customers are increasingly aware of the link between salt consumption and health. In response we've taken over 50 million teaspoonfuls of salt out of our customers' diets by reformulating our products. The FSA salt message remains highly relevant and we'll be helping get it across to our customers through clear labelling, in-store communications and through our website.'

Unilever

'Effective reduction of salt intake requires the involvement of the food industry, healthcare professionals, governments and consumers. Unilever takes an active role in seeking ways to reduce, where possible, the salt content in its products whilst meeting consumer expectations on taste. In the UK, Unilever has reduced salt levels in all its soups and sauces by an average of 30%, cut salt levels in its Pot Noodle range by an average of 28%, launched the successful Flora No Salt product and achieved a 16% salt reduction on all Peperami sausage products.'

Waitrose
Steven Esom, Managing Director

'We are committed to lowering the salt intake of our customers and are on track to meet the majority of the FSA's salt targets for 2010, by the end of this year. We are particularly grateful to our suppliers with whom we have worked over the last four years for joining us in our commitment to support the FSA's campaign on this important public health issue.

This has been strengthened by the introduction of front of pack traffic light labelling on all FSA suggested product categories at Waitrose, which makes it easier for our customers to identify salt content at a glance.'

Which?
Sue Davies, Chief Policy Adviser

'Which? strongly supports this latest phase of the FSA's salt awareness campaign. There are clear health benefits from cutting down on salt, yet our research has regularly shown surprisingly high levels of salt in foods - including those targeted at children. It is vital that the food industry continues to lower salt levels in its foods wherever possible and that all retailers and manufacturers commit to using the FSA's multiple traffic light labelling scheme so that consumers can easily check how much salt they are getting.'