17/05/2010

The President of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition, Roberto Sabrido, took part in SEMERGEN’s (Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians) second Cardiovascular Workshops, which took place last weekend in Oviedo.

The Title of his presentation was “The National Plan for Reducing Salt Intake”.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is responsible for more than 50% of stroke cases and 45% of coronary heart disease, and affects a high percentage of the Spanish population: 35% of Spaniards have high blood pressure. This percentage is as high as 68% in those over 65. In total, more than 10 million Spaniards suffer from it. Furthermore, all scientific research points to a direct link between hypertension and a high salt intake, as well as a lack of physical exercise. These figures, which may seem stark, can be translated into millions of deaths every year, as well as widespread incapacity, which could, to a great extent, be avoided with certain measures which, although simple on paper, are difficult to implement as they require, among other things, changes in lifestyles.

One of the most effective ways of substantially reducing the impact of morbi-mortality associated with high blood pressure is to reduce salt intake.

Therefore, during his presentation, Roberto Sabrido highlighted that currently, we consume an average of 9.8 g of salt per day in this country, whilst the World Health Organisation suggests that this figure should not be more than 5 g a day. What margin of manoeuvre is there for the average citizen to reduce his or her salt intake? The truth is that this margin is small: most of the salt which we consume is what the experts call “hidden salt”. This is the salt found, for example, in processed or pre-cooked foods. Salt is necessary in the manufacture of various foods, such as cold meats or cheese, but we have shown that thanks to technological advances, this “hidden salt” can be reduced without compromising food safety. Proof of this can be seen in the results of a joint effort with bread bakers’ associations, which saw salt levels in bread reduced by 26.4% over a four-year period, without consumers noticing.

AESAN is currently working with the food industry so that they can reformulate their products by reducing the salt that is added. That is our margin of manoeuvre.

17 March is World Hypertension Day