Salt Campaign Targets Ready Meals
 The Food Standards Agency is launching a media campaign advising people to cut salt consumption to 6g a day. Consumers have been advised to compare salt levels in ready meals. The FSA says processed meals are responsible for about 75% of people's salt intake.
But manufacturers said there was no proof cutting salt had long-term health benefits. However, the FSA said eating too much salt was a significant risk factor in developing high blood pressure, which contributes to more than 170,000 deaths a year in England.
And it said that, each day 26m people in the UK consume too much salt, increasing their health risks. The FSA points to studies which have shown reducing salt in diet could lower blood pressure within four weeks.
Men consume 11g of salt a day on average, while women's intake is 8g. But an FSA survey of more than 2,000 people found more than a third of Britons were trying to cut down on salt. FSA chair Deirdre Hutton said: "It's a great first step that so many people now know that too much salt is bad for them and are cutting down on the amount they add to food.
"But if we all check food labels and choose the products containing the least salt, it will help us ensure that we all eat no more than 6g a day." She said the aim was to ensure average salt consumption was the recommended level by 2010.
Peter Hollins, director general of the British Heart Foundation, said the drive was needed. "High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and one most people can tackle by simply cutting down the salt in their diet."
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