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Experts said last night that a voluntary pact with the food industry in 2011 had been a "tragedy for public health" and had slowed the pace of progress made as part of the salt reduction strategy from the Food Standards Agency. To date, he has reportedly been responsible for nearly 10,000 cases of heart disease and stroke and 1,500 cases of stomach cancer that could have been prevented, a study revealed. In 2000, the average daily consumption of dietary salt in men was 10.5 g, compared with 8 g for women. Between 2003 and 2010, it decreased by an average of 0.2 g per year for men and 0.12 g for women, but between 2011 and 2014, it slowed down to represent only 0.11 g for men and 0.07 g for women. The maximum recommended salt consumption is 6 g per day. Before the government presented its strategy – which is part of the Public Health Accountability Agreement – manufacturers were asked to reduce the amount of salt in food by meeting the targets set by experts .
Dr. Andrew Laverty of Imperial College London led the research, which was published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
He said: "We were worried that we would say to the food industry, 'Go away and think about how much you want to reduce salt, decide between you and tell us what's going on.'
"Many public health experts have said that if you let the industry do it for no particular reason, it is unlikely that they will do it.
"If something similar was going on until 2025, we estimate 26,000 cases of cardiovascular disease and 3,800 cases of stomach cancer."
Graham MacGregor, President of Action on Salt, said, "We have known for a long time that the Public Health Accountability Accord is a tragedy for public health.
"It is a scandal that the UK currently has no active salt reduction strategy, with the latest set of targets having expired at the end of 2017.
"While the food industry has a role to play in helping consumers consume less salt, this study clearly demonstrates the need for a robustly monitored program."
A recent study by Public Health England showed that just over half of all salt reduction targets had been achieved, with retailers making more progress than manufacturers.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs said: "We are committed to helping people live longer and healthier lives, and our progress in reducing salt levels is the best in the world. .
"Volunteer actions have seen a 11% reduction over the past decade, and we continue to work with industry to get things done."
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