21 March 2006
ACFM Response to FSA Salt Targets
Further to our commitment to the Food Standards Agency
(FSA) in 2004, members of the Association of Cereal Food
Manufacturers (ACFM) have achieved a total 33% reduction
in salt* from 1998 to 2005. Breakfast cereals now on average
contain less than 0.4g of sodium per 100g.
These reductions subsequently received
support from the FSA, which was “most encouraged
by the significant reductions achieved by the members” and
welcomed ACFM’s
engagement in the public health initiative.
Following
the significant reductions made to date, the FSA’s
target of 0.3g of sodium per 100g (on average) by 2010
remains a challenging target for salt reduction in
breakfast cereals.
ACFM members offer a wide range of products to suit
all tastes, including no-added-salt products, and are
committed
to continue
looking at product formulations to meet recommended
targets, subject to consumer choice and acceptance.
Breakfast
cereals on average only contribute a very
small proportion of salt in the diet - less than
5% of the average
adult daily intake - and remain a healthy and nutritious
way to start the day. The government is also actively
encouraging consumers not to skip breakfast, as outlined
in the FSA Eat
Well Booklet, which recommends eating a healthy breakfast
including breakfast cereals.
For further information contact the BCIS Team on:
Tel: 020 7815 3900
Email: info@breakfastcereal.org
Notes to Editor:
• The salt reduction figures are sales
weighted averages for branded breakfast cereals
• Latest NDNS figures show that the mean consumption
of breakfast cereals is 33g per day in men and 27g per day
for women,
with 75% of this being wholegrain
and
high fibre varieties (do we know the figure for kids as this information
almost begs the question)
• The ACFM is the trade association of the
UK’s leading breakfast
cereal manufacturers. Members are Cereal Partners, Dailycer, Jordans, Kellogg’s,
Morning Foods, Quaker, and Weetabix.
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