June 21, 2012
Women leading the way in salt
consumption
New figures show the nation’s average
salt intake is continuing to decrease slowly – with women consuming
significantly less salt than men.
Survey results reveal the mean estimated
salt intake for adults aged 19 to 64
years was 8.1g per day. The findings showed the
intake for men was 9.3g per day, while for women it was 6.8g.
The Department of Health calculated the
figures by measuring the amount of sodium in the
urine of more than 500 people.
We know women take advantage of food labels which could be helping them avoid salty foods
It’s recommended that
adults consume
no more than 6g of salt a day but
in 2000/01 the mean estimated salt intake stood at 9.5g. In 2008,
the figure was 8.6g.
Victoria Taylor, our Senior Dietitian,
said: “It’s good news that salt intakes appear to be slowly falling
but there is still some way to go.
“Reformulation of foods has
helped to reduce salt in our diets but it’s vital this work
continues across the food industry so we can make further progress
towards the national target of no more than 6g of salt a day.
“What is also interesting is that men are
lagging behind when it comes to salt intake. We know women
take advantage of food labels which could be
helping them avoid salty foods, but it looks like men might need
more help in the supermarket. Clear and
consistent front-of-pack labels, with traffic light colours,
will help us all to make healthier choices.”
Tell the Government
what you think about food labels