As a result of these findings, the British Heart Foundation is calling for ‘urgent action’ from the Government to reduce the amount of salt in our food. Working-age adults in the England eat an average of 8.4g of salt per day, which is 40% more than the Government’s recommended maximum of 6g.
The British Heart Foundation says eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is linked to half of all heart attacks and strokes. According to research 30% of UK adults have high blood pressure, with as many as five million people not knowing they have it.
A new poll by the British Heart Foundation commissioned alongside YouGov of over 2,000 adults revealed that over half (56%) of Brits are not confident estimating their daily salt intake. Awareness of the UK national maximum guideline of 6g is low, with only 16% correctly identifying the exact amount.
A fifth (20%) thought it was more than 6g, a third (32%) said they didn’t know and another third (32%) thought the maximum guideline was 5g.
Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the food we buy such as bread, cereals, pre-made sauces and ready meals, so it’s often hard to know exactly how much salt we’re consuming.
"This is bad news for our heart health, as eating too much salt significantly increases the risk of high blood pressure, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious diseases. The Government must step in to make the healthy choice much easier for families by giving manufacturers an incentive to take out excessive amounts of salt from our food.”
The British Heart Foundation are calling on the Government to ensure its upcoming Healthy Food Standard includes mandatory targets that incentivise all major food companies to reduce salt levels in their products.