The Food Industry
More than 75% of salt consumed by Australians is eaten as 'hidden' salt. This is the salt that is in processed foods. Salt added to food at the table represents only a small proportion of daily salt intake.
AWASH launched its Drop the Salt! campaign in May 2007 to develop a five-year strategy to reduce salt in processed foods by 25%. The strategy aims to secure high level commitment from Australia's food industry to activate ways to reformulate food products with lower salt options. The Australian food industry has begun to make good progress and recognises that more needs to be done.
Individual food company agreements are being negotiated with AWASH experts including Dr Bruce Neal, Chair of AWASH, Senior Director at The George Institute for International Health and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney, and Ms Jacqui Webster, AWASH Project Manager and previous coordinator of the UK Food Standards Agency's salt reduction strategy.
AWASH has also secured support from other key stakeholders including the food industry.
The food industry in Australia has already taken steps to reduce salt in some food products, partly in order to meet the criteria required to obtain the National Heart Foundation's Tick accreditation but also as awareness of AWASH objectives grow. The AWASH food industry strategy will be building on the action already taken to reduce salt in some food products and the continued commitment of the food industry to make further changes. Some of the commitments and actions are detailed below:
Manufacturers
Australian Food and Grocery Council is the peak national organisation representing Australia's packaged food, drink and grocery products manufacturing industry. It supports initiatives contributing to the objective of improving public health through healthy eating including reducing hypertension through a target daily salt intake for adults below 6g per day. The AFGC advocates that the food industry should continue to review product formulations and processing technologies with a view to reducing the use of salt, whilst still ensuring that food products remain appealing to consumers in taste, convenience and price and that product safety and integrity can be maintained throughout an appropriate shelf-life.
The WHO report, Reducing Salt Intake in Populations, released in April 2007, emphasises the need to work closely with food manufacturers as the cornerstone of any successful national salt reduction campaign.
Many manufacturers have already made a significant impact on reducing salt in foods. For example:
- George Weston Foods became one of the first companies to work with the National Heart Foundation (NHF) in 2007 to establish the initial sodium criteria of 450mg/100g for the bread category, as part of the ‘Heart Tick’ program. It has now achieved a further reduction to 400mg/100g across its mainstream bread portfolio – joining the Burgen® range of breads which has met this benchmark since 2004.
- Tip Top® UP®, Tip Top® 9 Grain®, Tip Top® Gold Max®, Tip Top® Gold Split® and Tip Top® Sunblest® now have 400mg/100g of sodium – which is the current NHF Tick criteria for the bread category. This represents a total reduction of over 20% on average since 1997.
- Golden® Crumpets and Crumpet Toast® have been reformulated from 650mg/100g of sodium (Crumpets) and 820mg/100g of sodium (Crumpet Toast). This represents a total sodium reduction of 8% and 28% respectively, which has resulted in the removal of 4.6 tonnes of salt from the Australian food supply on an annual basis (based on 2008 sales volumes).
- Goodman Fielder is a supporter of the AWASH group and recognises the importance of reducing salt in the Australian food supply. Goodman Fielder has been reducing salt in its products for some time and is continuing to do so as part of its salt reduction program.
Goodman Fielder provides salt reduced varieties for Meadow Lea, Gold'n Canola, Olive Grove and Logicol spreads as well as Country Life breads; and in 2006, removed more than 19 tonnes of salt from its Praise and Paul Newman’s Own salad dressings.
As part of the new product development process, Goodman Fielder follows internal nutrition criteria developed specifically for each product category, with sodium being one of the key nutrients targeted along with saturated fat, trans fat, and where applicable, sugar and dietary fibre. - Bakers Delight is committed to reducing salt levels across all products over the coming years and will proactively work with AWASH to achieve this. Bakers Delight is currently reviewing the salt content of all products and developing a salt reduction strategy.
Bakers Delight actively supports a healthy lifestyle, with a range catering to the trend towards healthy living. Bakers Delight’s health commitment can be demonstrated through a range of product related health attributes. Not to mention promotion of a healthy lifestyle both in-store and out in the community. - Freedom Foods is a leader in the "free from" market segment, which comprises of food and beverage products manufactured free from key allergens such as gluten, wheat, nuts and dairy, while also maintaining a superior nutritional profile.
Delivering products that are low in salt across breakfast cereals, snacks, bars and soy beverages remains a critical factor for the company. In their breakfast cereals alone, Freedom Foods have eight products that meet AWASH’s ‘low in salt’ criteria (120mg/100g); Rice Flakes with Psyllium & Corn Flakes with a hint of Gold Syrup (both 112mg/100g), Rice Puffs with Psyllium (111mg/100g), Gluten Free Muesli (30mg/100g), Yeast Free Muesli (6mg/100g), Quick Oats (3mg/100g), Norganic Crunchola Apple Cinnamon and Apple Blueberry (both 25mg/100g).
Freedom Foods also has five snack bars well below 120mg/100g, biscuits and their soy beverages - trading under Soy Natural and Australia’s Own Organic Milks. Freedom Foods new product development in 2010 will be committed to achieving low salt status and supports the work of AWASH. - Heinz Australia has signed up as a supporter in principle of the AWASH group, due to its intention to improve the diets of Australians and raise awareness about health. This message is consistent with Heinz Australia’s current approach to continuously developing quality, flavoursome foods whilst being considerate of health and people’s changing needs.
Heinz Australia has been reducing salt in recipes across a range of products such as soups, meals and sauces for some time and continues to do so in current and future planned launches and varieties. These changes are backed up by extensive taste testing and consumer research to ensure that flavour is not compromised, and products move in line with changing consumer tastes. Heinz supports activities that educate and increase public awareness of health and wellness initiatives such as managing salt intake. - Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing has a philosophy of creating truly nourishing food, made from whole food ingredients as close to their natural state as possible. As part of this emphasis on nature’s whole plant foods, Sanitarium recognises the importance of making foods with a low salt content to help consumers on their health and wellbeing journey. In 2000, the Company instigated a comprehensive review of all its products with the goal to reduce salt levels, where possible, across its entire range. Sanitarium products that meet the “low in salt” criteria (<120mg/100g) include:
- Weet-Bix Kids
- Fruit & Five Grains Muesli
- Honey Weets
- Puffed Wheat
- All So Good beverages
- So Good Bliss Frozen Desserts
- So Nice Soy Milks
- Up & Go
- Up & Go Energize
- Up & Go Vive
- Sanitarium No Added Salt Peanut Butter, Natural Peanut Butter
Sanitarium recognises the challenge of balancing sodium content in foods for its functionality along with our deliberate stance to continue to reduce the sodium content in our current product range. And importantly, as part of our nutrition policy, Sanitarium also considers minimising sodium as a significant factor when developing new products.
- Unilever Australasia recognises the importance of reducing salt in the food supply. Salt is one of the four nutrients (along with saturated fat, trans fat and sugar) that it has been reducing in its products since 2001 as part of its Nutrition Enhancement Program.
Unilever has been reducing salt for many years before that. During the 1990s, more than 250 tonnes of salt was removed from its Flora® spreads products. Since 2001, it has reduced the salt content of more than 155 Continental® products (including Cup-a-soup, Pasta & Sauce, Rices, Recipe Mixes and Stocks) by on average 30%. As a result, ~60 tonnes of salt have been removed from the food supply. Sodium (salt) criteria have been developed to guide new product development and these benchmarks are regularly reviewed. The salt reduction program is underpinned by an on-going technical research program in research centres in Germany and the Netherlands. - Kellogg is committed to continually reviewing and improving the amount of sodium in their products. In 1997, Kellogg commenced a salt reduction program in breakfast cereals, which resulted in the removal of around 250 tonnes of salt from the Australian food supply.
The company’s ongoing sodium reduction program will effectively see a further 102 tonnes of salt removed from the Australian diet between 2010 and 2012. This commitment has been formalised through their participation in the Department of Health’s Food and Health Dialogue initiative.
In 2010 Kellogg have started labeling salt equivalents on pack in recognition of the fact that the term sodium, which is required to be labeled by law, can be confusing. This will help consumers to make an informed choice.
Kellogg’s international research centre in the US is currently developing new technologies that will allow the company to reduce the sodium levels in its products even further without compromising taste. - Lowan Whole Foods is committed to providing consumers with high quality whole foods that promote good health. It recently re-launched and extended its children's range of cereals to improve nutritional values including having a low level of salt. All products in the Lowan Kids range now meet the criteria for a low salt food. Lowan has set a significant benchmark when it comes to salt reduction and encourages other food manufactures to consider similar initiatives.
Lowan Whole Foods congratulates AWASH for taking a stand against salt and wholeheartedly supports the AWASH salt reduction campaign. Lowan Whole Foods has been providing quality whole foods to consumers for over 30 years, and recognises the importance of providing children with healthy products that in turn will promote a healthier future generation.
It understands that significantly reducing salt levels in manufactured foods presents a difficult challenge, particularly in the breakfast cereal category. However, Lowan has proven that it can be done through the development of its new Lowan Kids range. It has set a significant benchmark when it comes to salt reduction by reducing the salt content in its children's cereal Honey O's by over 1/3 to just 81mg per 100g, and encourages other food manufactures to consider similar salt reduction initiatives in the interest of our nation's health. - Monster Muesli products are all low in salt and meet the “low in salt” criteria (<120mg/100g). Monster Muesli is committed to providing consumers with great tasting, healthy muesli and porridge, and has been operating for 17 years as an Australian owned manufacturer of breakfast cereals. Monster Muesli is an enthusiastic supporter of the AWASH salt reduction campaign.
- The Smith’s Snackfood Company is on a journey to transform its product portfolio and has publicly committed to reducing the sodium content across its product range by 25% over five years, commencing May 2007.
Good progress has been made, with 32 different products being reformulated in the first three years of the program.
The amount of sodium reduction has varied from product to product to ensure that consumer acceptability is maintained.
Some of Smith’s best selling products have had significant reductions in sodium levels. Products that have had at least 20% sodium reduction since the program commenced include: Smith’s Crinkle Cut Potato Chips – Chicken, Smith’s Crinkle Cut Potato Chips – Original, Smith’s Thinly Cut Potato Chips – Salt & Vinegar, Red Rock Deli – Lime and Black Pepper, Twisties – Chicken, Parker’s Pretzels, Nobby’s Peanuts and Nobby’s Cashews.
Supermarkets
- Coles is committed to developing its Housebrand food offer in a nutritionally balanced way and will look to reduce salt levels in its Housebrand foods while continuing to ensure great taste and minimising potential cost impacts to its customers. In January 2008, Coles made a commitment of an average 25% reduction in salt over five years in its Housebrand foods. Since then, Coles has been working in partnership with its suppliers to work towards their commitment, ensuring product safety, quality, value and taste are not compromised by the salt reductions.
Examples of best practice so far include:
- An average 40% sodium reduction in Coles’ Muesli Bars (all these products will now contain less than 65mg sodium per 100g).
- Coles’ nut range is another category that has been reformulated to reduce its sodium content. For example, Roasted and Salted Cashews 393mg per 100g to 275mg per 100g (30% sodium reduction); Mixed Nuts 393mg per 100g to 275mg per 100g (30% sodium reduction); and Macadamia Dry Roasted 296mg per 100g to 236mg per 100g (20% sodium reduction).
- A range of ‘Lite’ frozen meals was introduced that contain an average sodium content of 236mg per 100g
Quick Food Service Sector
- McDonald’s Australia became the first fast food restaurant chain to earn the Heart Foundation Tick in 2007 for nine meals. McDonald’s has modified their recipes for chicken marinades, sauces and salad dressings and has reduced the salt in the Deli Choices bread rolls by 43%. The modified ingredients used in the Tick approved meals are now used across the whole McDonald’s Australia menu. McDonald’s continues to look at opportunities to provide more choices and information to suit the needs of their customers. McDonald’s has achieved an average salt reduction of 32% through recipe changes, removing over two and a half thousand kilograms of salt a year from the food supply.
- Yum! Restaurants Australia, the franchisor of KFC and Pizza Hut in Australia, believes all foods should be consumed as part of a balanced lifestyle, including exercise. They are committed to supporting responsible dietary choices through full disclosure of their nutrition information, while providing more nutritious foods across the menu and more choice, including healthier options. As part of this commitment, Yum! is focused on reducing sodium across the core products on the menu, while still providing customers with great tasting, fresh products.
Currently Yum! has targeted a salt reduction of 10% across all chicken products on the KFC menu and 20% on chips. It is testing products that meet these targets in market and intend to roll this out nationally by the end of 2009. This change will result in the removal of in excess of 70,000kg of salt from the Australian diet. Yum! is actively exploring opportunities to extend this salt reduction on both brands, and through the use of new technology, aim to be testing further significant salt reductions with consumers at the start of 2010. The Yum! goal for the future is to support customers to lower their salt consumption, by offering meals from our core menu that have less than 1000mg of sodium. - Subway® Systems Australia has undertaken extensive research and development with the help of its suppliers to reduce salt content across a number of its ingredients. Subway Systems Australia has introduced a Roast Beef slice with 56% reduction in sodium content. Reduced sodium ham, chicken strips and roasted chicken are now also available, each with reductions of 26%, 31.5% and 36% respectively. A sodium reduction has also been implemented on Subway® Teriyaki glaze and when combined with the reduced sodium chicken strips results in a 14% sodium reduction in a Subway 6-inch® Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich.
In addition, Subway Systems Australia has also achieved a 10% sodium reduction in the white and wheat bread offering. Subway Systems Australia will continue to strive towards ‘better for you’, salt reduced product reformulations moving forward. These developments reflect Subway®’s commitment to being a market leader in the QSR industry for providing healthier fast food options. - Domino’s announced their commitment in September 2009 to reducing salt content in their proteins, bakery and dairy ingredients by 25% over the next three years as well as reducing the saturated fat content of their proteins and dairy ingredients by 15%. Since making the commitment, Domino’s has already reduced the salt in its Chicken Breasts, Kickers and Wings by 20% and its beef product by 18%. The Domino’s Chicken Breast alone has had a 50% decrease in saturated fat. Domino’s is continuing to work with suppliers to increase quality of its products while decreasing the salt and saturated fat in key ingredients. Domino’s CEO Don Meij said these significant targets were the company’s short term goal, with a longer term goal to reduce the salt content even further.
- Oporto recognises the importance of contributing to the reduction of sodium in our diets. It is pro-actively working with suppliers to decrease the salt in its key ingredients and menu items. Oporto continues to support the AWASH group and look at new initiatives to reduce salt in its products.
All new Oporto products are developed to minimise salt levels where possible to ensure it maintains a balance of great tasting food along with the highest standards of food safety and shelf life. Oporto is committed to serving premium quality 100% fresh breast fillet burgers and grilled chicken. - Compass Group has an ongoing program of salt reduction as part of its overall Health and Wellness program which includes reformulation and labelling in relation to specific criteria for fat, energy, fibre and salt. This runs in parallel with monthly food and nutrition education sessions for food service staff.
Research Institutions
- Food Science Australia, together with a number of Australian food manufacturing companies, is starting a research project to find out if food structure design can be used to control salt perception in emulsion based foods. The aim is to design foods that provide an enhanced perception of the salt ions when the food is broken down by chewing. Such a technology would provide the opportunity to reduce the salt content while maintaining the salt perception of a high salt containing food. These new foods are being developed with the assistance of an in vitro model that mimics the in-mouth processes that occur during mastication. These foods will also be tested by sensory panels. The project is planned to run for three years and is starting in February 2008.
"The work that was done in the UK... to reduce salt levels in processed foods was an excellent example of government and industry working effectively together on an important issue of public health. Over a period of three years very significant reductions were made across a broad range of product categories that included everything from bread and breakfast cereals to soups and meal sauces".
Gavin Neath - Chairman, Unilever Bestfoods