Salt back in the limelight

Salt along with fat and sugar are among the top five food concerns in the UK. Gill Fine, Director of Consumer Choice and Dietary Health at the Food Standards Agency says consumers over the last five years are demanding more reliable and practical information on all aspects of nutrition and food and health following the trend towards healthier eating.

More people than ever before are checking food labels for salt, fat and sugar levels in food.

The number of people who say they look for nutritional details has risen to 75% in 2004, from just over half in 2000. People are more concerned about levels of salt, fat and sugar in food and the accuracy of food labels, and less concerned about issues like BSE.

‘To meet the growing demand for information about nutrition and healthy eating, the Food Standards Agency has launched a new website - www.food.gov.uk/eatwell - dedicated to providing reliable and practical advice on all aspects of food, diet and health, as well as helpful tips on topics such as understanding food labels.'

In the last five years people have become more aware of healthy diets which include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables; far less concerned about B.S.E and the safety of raw beef; and more concerned about the accuracy of food labelling.