Ukrainians exceed daily salt intake by 2.5 times: Ministry of Health urges bread producers to salt less
Kyiv • UNN
Each Ukrainian consumes an average of 2.5 to 4.25 grams of salt daily with bread alone, which is more than 2.5 times the WHO recommended daily allowance. The Ministry of Health urged bakery producers to gradually reduce the salt content of their products.
Every Ukrainian consumes an average of 2.5 grams to 4.25 grams of salt daily with bread alone, which is half or more of the daily allowance recommended by the World Health Organization. Therefore, the Ministry of Health urged bakery producers to gradually reduce the salt content in their products. UNN reports this with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Health.
Reportedly, the Ministry of Health held a meeting with representatives of the World Health Organization, the Center for Public Health, the State Food and Consumer Service and the All-Ukrainian Association of Bakers.
According to Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, bread is one of the main products from which Ukrainians get salt. According to the State Statistics Service, every Ukrainian consumes about 250 grams of bread per day. The salt content of most types of bread ranges from 1.07 to 1.7 g per 100 g. This means that one piece of bread (30-40 g) can contain up to 0.68 g of salt. Although sometimes there are also types of bread where the salt content is 0.56 g, or significantly exceeds 1.7 g per 100 g.
The amount of sodium we consume, mostly in the form of table salt, affects our overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Reducing the amount of salt in bread is an important aspect of national strategies to reduce this morbidity. For two years now, Ukraine has had certain restrictions introduced as part of the school nutrition reform. For bread eaten in educational institutions and other places where children are present, the salt content should not exceed 0.45 g per 100 g of finished product. However, it is important that children and adults responsible for them have the opportunity to eat healthier not only at school but also at home, as this will benefit everyone and, together with other measures, make Ukrainians healthier
According to the National STEPS Study, Ukrainians consume about 12.6 grams of salt per day on average, while the WHO recommends not exceeding 5 grams. This means that Ukrainians exceed their daily salt intake by more than 2.5 times.
The Ministry of Health suggests that Ukrainian bread producers consider such measures:
- Reduce the amount of salt in bread and bakery products to no more than 0.9 g per 100 g. This can be done gradually, so that consumers get used to a less salty taste (as was the case, for example, in Finland).
- Enhance the flavor of baked goods in other ways, such as using herbs and spices or even fermented foods, which can help compensate for the reduction in salt.
According to the Ministry of Health, the implementation of these measures will help reduce overall salt consumption, promote healthy eating and reduce the level of non-communicable diseases.
