U.K. bakers wary over salt reduction targets

NEWS HIGHLIGHT

U.K. bakers wary over salt reduction targets
Ongoing amendments to salt reduction targets
across European markets such as the United Kingdom are throwing up unknown challenges
for bakers beyond just affecting taste.

May 26, 2009 – Ongoing amendments to salt reduction targets
across European markets such as the United Kingdom are throwing up unknown challenges
for bakers beyond just affecting taste, with fears over the possible
wider impacts for product quality, according to industry leaders.

Gordon Polson, director of the trade body Bakers Federation, says
recent amendments made to the U.K.'s Food Standards Agency’s (FSA)
non-mandatory salt guidelines, following previous targets set for 2006
and 2010, may not be able to be met by bread makers.

"Challenging" was how the FSA labelled the new targets, which it says
aim to reduce salt intake to 6g a day for adults (2.4g sodium), from
around 9.5g in 2000-01. The current consumption estimate is at 8.6g,
indicating that progress has been made since the campaign was
initiated. | READ MORE