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January 2007
Cereal Manufacturers Slash Salt Levels by 38%
Members of the Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers* (ACFM) have announced a significant 38% reduction in the salt1 levels of the nation's favourite breakfast cereal brands.
The latest reduction figures, achieved from 1998 to 2006, mean that breakfast cereals now on average contain only 0.36g of sodium per 100g, which equates to less than 5% of the average adult daily intake.
The announcement comes ahead of the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) salt awareness campaign this spring, which will encourage people to check salt levels on labels and eat no more than 6g of salt a day.
Breakfast cereal manufactures are leading the way in product reformulation such as salt reductions and 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. The label also allows people to make easy comparisons within the breakfast category and ensures they are able to monitor their nutrient intake and remain within the recommended 6g of salt as part of their daily diet.
Penny Hunking, Independent Nutritionist and spokesperson for the Breakfast Cereal Information Service (BCIS) commented: "Cereal manufacturers have been reducing salt in their products for a number of years, prior to the FSA and Department of Health policies on salt reduction. The significant reductions made to date reinforce the fact that cereals contribute a very small proportion of salt in the diet and can make a very important contribution - between 25% and 30% - to the intakes of several vitamins and iron in the diet. Cereal manufacturers are setting a positive example and have been reducing salt in their products for a number of years."
In a letter to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department of Health (DH), the ACFM outlined that its members will continue to look at their product formulations and conduct consumer testing to ensure that consumer preferences are met. This is part of a wider commitment to improve consumers' health through a balanced diet and active lifestyle.
-Ends-
For further information contact the BCIS Team on:
Tel: 020 7815 3900
Email: info@breakfastcereal.org
Notes to Editor:
. *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
. The latest salt reduction figures were generated by the annual ACFM review of sodium levels in branded breakfast cereals using methodology endorsed by Food Standards Agency
. 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 week2
. 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 (NDNS 2004 - Survey of 4-18 yr olds. Gregory et al)
References
1. Measured as sodium
2. YouGov Survey: Putting Breakfast First. Jan 07
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