29th January 2010
Breakfast salt slashed again
- Breakfast cereals have reduced salt by nearly 50% since 1998
- Achieved FSA target of 0.3g/100g (sodium)
- Just 2.8% of the salt in people's shopping baskets comes from breakfast cereals
- 93% of breakfast cereals are classified as either low or medium for salt content according the Food Standard's Agency's profiling
To coincide with the Salt Awareness Week (1st to 7th February 2010), the Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers (ACFM) is pleased to announce a further reduction in the level of salt in breakfast cereals over the last year, bringing the total reduction since 1998 to an impressive 49.07%¹. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has asked that, on average, breakfast cereals contain no more than 0.3g sodium per 100g by (the end of) 2010 and latest figures released today show that the industry has achieved this target.
The latest reduction figures mean that, on average, breakfast cereals now contain only 0.29g of sodium per 100g, which equates to less than 0.1g per typical 30g serving¹. Less than 3% of the salt in the nation’s shopping baskets comes from breakfast cereals², far less than other popular breakfast foods.
Breakfast cereal manufacturers are also leading the way in clearer nutritional labelling via the use of Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs). The GDA labels that are now available on many cereal brands enable consumers to clearly note the levels of salt and other nutrients that are contained in a suggested portion to help them remain within recommended levels. Last year, the EU project, FLABEL (Food Labelling to Advance Better Education for Life) declared British breakfast cereals the best food category in Europe for providing nutrition information on pack.
Members of the ACFM will continue to look at their product formulations and conduct consumer testing to further reduce salt content whilst ensuring that consumer preferences are met. This is part of a wider commitment to improve consumers' health through a balanced diet and active lifestyle.
For further information on the health benefits of breakfast cereals and ACFM positioning, visit www.breakfastcereal.org or contact:
Julia Riddle on 020 7052 8859
(julia.riddle@nexuspr.com )
Caroline Lynch on 020 7052 8855
(caroline.lynch@nexuspr.com )
Notes to Editors:
- The ACFM is the trade association of the UK’s leading breakfast cereal manufacturers, which includes Cereal Partners, Dailycer, Dorset Cereals, Jordans, Kellogg’s, Mornflake, Quaker and Weetabix.
- Breakfast cereals are the most popular breakfast food with 88% of UK adults sometimes eating it and two thirds having it at least once a week³
¹ Figures generated by the annual ACFM review of sodium levels in branded breakfast cereals using methodology endorsed by Food Standards Agency
² TNS Worldpanel Nutrition Service
³ YouGov survey: Putting Breakfast First. Jan 07
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