title: Target salt 2025: a global overview of national programs to encourage the food industry to reduce salt in foods.
abstract: Reducing population salt intake has been identified as a priority intervention to reduce non-communicable diseases. Member States of the World Health Organization have agreed to a global target of a 30% reduction in salt intake by 2025. In countries where most salt consumed is from processed foods, programs to engage the food industry to reduce salt in products are being developed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of national initiatives to encourage the food industry to reduce salt. A systematic review of the literature was supplemented by key informant questionnaires to inform categorization of the initiatives. Fifty nine food industry salt reduction programs were identified. Thirty eight countries had targets for salt levels in foods and nine countries had introduced legislation for some products. South Africa and Argentina have both introduced legislation limiting salt levels across a broad range of foods. Seventeen countries reported reductions in salt levels in foods-the majority in bread. While these trends represent progress, many countries have yet to initiate work in this area, others are at early stages of implementation and further monitoring is required to assess progress towards achieving the global target.
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, Food Policy Division, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction, Sydney 2050, Australia. jwebster@georgeinstitute.org.au.
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, Food Policy Division, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction, Sydney 2050, Australia. ktrieu@georgeinstitute.org.au.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trieu
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, Food Policy Division, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction, Sydney 2050, Australia. edunford@georgeinstitute.org.au.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dunford
authors.affiliation: World Cancer Research Fund, Policy and Public Affairs, London WC1B 3HH, UK. c.hawkes@wcrf.org.
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hawkes
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D001939:Bread; D016208:Databases, Factual; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000592:standards*; D019649:Food Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000592:standards*; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary