title: Feasibility of salt reduction in processed foods in Argentina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess an intervention to reduce salt intake based on an agreement with the food industry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Salt content was measured in bakery products through a national survey and biochemical analyses. Low-salt bread was evaluated by a panel of taste testers to determine whether a reduced salt bread could remain undetected. French bread accounts for 25% of the total salt intake in Argentina; hence, reducing its salt concentration from 2% to 1.4% was proposed and tested. A crossover trial was conducted to evaluate the reduction in urinary sodium and blood pressure in participants during consumption of the low-salt bread compared with ordinary bread.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average salt content in bread was 2%. This study evaluated low-salt bread containing 1.4% salt. This reduction remained mostly undetected by the panels of taste testers. In the crossover trial, which included 58 participants, a reduction of 25 milliequivalents in 24 hour urine sodium excretion, a reduction in systolic blood pressure of 1.66 mmHg, and a reduction in diastolic blood pressure of 0.76 mmHg were found during the low-salt bread intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed that dietary salt reduction was feasible and well accepted in the population studied through a reduction of salt content in bread. Although the effects on urinary sodium and blood pressure were moderate, a country wide intervention could have a greater public health impact.
authors: Ministry of Health, Buenos Aires, Argentina. dferrante@msal.gov.ar
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Ferrante
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Apro
authors: Veronica
authors: V
authors: Ferreira
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Virgolini
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Aguilar
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Sosa
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Perel
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Casas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001939:Bread / Q000032:analysis*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D019649:Food Industry; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009318:Natriuresis; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D013652:Taste Threshold; D035141:Voluntary Programs; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary