Herformulering van levensmiddelen - zoutreductie - FOD ...

natriumbevattende voedingsadditieven. Echter, gezien de overdosering van zout in vele
voedingsproducten en de grote variabiliteit van het zoutgehalte binnen eenzelfde categorie van
voedingsproducten, lijkt in een eerste fase de meest voor de hand liggende methode een eenvoudige,
stapsgewijze verlaging van het zoutgehalte te zijn.
In dit advies worden een aantal aanbevelingen geformuleerd voor het beleid, de betrokken sectoren,
het onderzoek en de consument.
Summary
Advice 05-2012 of the Scientific Committee of the FASFC and advice SHC 8663 of the
Superior Health Council on the reformulation of food – salt reduction
A high sodium intake is associated with several health risks including high blood pressure with various
clinical consequences, such as certain cardiovascular diseases. It has also been shown that a
decrease of blood pressure is associated with health benefits. Salt (NaCl, "kitchen salt") is the main
source of sodium in foods and salt reduction actually means sodium reduction. In several European
countries, but also outside Europe, various salt reduction campaigns were launched. In Belgium, a
campaign was developed as part of the National Food and Health Plan that included amongst others a
raise of consumer awareness and a covenant with the food industry and food distributors to reduce the
salt content of food products. When reducing salt (sodium) economic, technological as well as
subjective factors (e.g. taste) play a role. This advice considers the most important aspects of sodium
reduction primarily at the level of food safety and public health.
The average salt intake of adults in Belgium is approximately 10.5 g per day. The Superior Health
Council recommends reducing the salt intake to < 5 g per day. Foods prepared outdoors (bread,
cheese, meat products, prepared meals, etc.) and ready-made dishes contribute most to the salt
intake (± 75%). Salt is not added to foods for sensory reasons alone, but also for microbiological and
technological reasons. Therefore, reformulation of food products should take the different functions of
salt in food into account. However, such reformulation should not be accompanied by an increase of
the fat or sugar content of food, which is counterproductive in the quest for a healthy diet. Moreover,
the microbial and chemical safety of the reformulated product should always be evaluated.
Methods to reduce the salt content of foods include amongst others a gradual reduction of the salt
content, the use of salt substitutes, acting on the taste perception (e.g. spices, flavor enhancers,
physical availability of salt, etc.), and the replacement of other sodium-containing food additives.
However, given the overdosing of salt in many food products and the high variability of the salt content
within the same category of food products, the most obvious method in a first phase seems to be a
simple, stepwise reduction of the salt content.
In this advice a number of recommendations are formulated for policy, industries, research and
consumers.
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