§ Janet AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on salt intake in food in the UK. [111211]
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§ Ms BlearsAt the request of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Scientific Committee on Nutrition has reviewed the evidence on the public health implications of dietary salt intakes of the United Kingdom population. It is expected that the committee will publish its report on this shortly. Papers relating to the Committees work on this matter are available on its website at www.SACN.gov.uk.
It is likely that the committee will support previous expert advice that significant public health gains would be achieved if consumers, including children, reduced their salt intake. In anticipation of this the FSA, working in conjunction with the Department of Health, has been in discussion with food industry organisations about reducing salt levels in processed food which contributes most to current salt intakes in the UK.