Healthy eating is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. As a result, it is important to make food choices that build a healthy balanced diet.
International health organisations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) along with many governments around the world, including South Africa, have called for reductions in the consumption of dietary salt, as well as imposing salt reduction regulations in many food categories. It is well documented that cardiovascular or heart diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Elevated blood pressure levels increase the risk of heart disease, and albeit high blood pressure can be attributed to many factors, one of the leading contributors is an excess intake of dietary salt.
There is a fundamental question of what is the best approach to reducing unhealthy levels of salt consumption. Salt added in cooking and at the table seems to be the dominant source of salt consumption, exceeding processed food content. This has been found to be especially true in developing countries. On this basis, much global intervention has been based on education and behaviour change and this would seem to be more effective than regulation alone.
Tiger Brands uses sodium (salt) in many of its products and has implemented the Eat Well Live Well (EWLW) system which details the amount of salt per serving in a GDA (Guideline Daily amount) table on all foodstuff. The amount of salt is given both in grams as well as a percentage of the GDA, which should not be exceeded. This enables consumers to balance and thus restrict their salt intake.
Therefore – please DON’T pass the salt!
Stella Papadopoulos-Fenster, Tiger Brands Nutritionist
