Thank you for contacting me about the level of salt in food and drink products.
The Government has committed to a salt reduction programme to reduce the consumption of salt and the associated health risks as well as treating high salt consumption. Likewise, the link between excess sugar consumption and weight gain is clear and I am glad that the Government introduced a voluntary sugar reduction programme for the food industry in 2016.
The salt reduction programme sets out clear salt targets for 84 different food products that contribute the most to people’s salt intakes and are set to be achieved by 2024. There are also targets for maximum salt quantity per serving designed specifically for the hospitality, takeaway, and delivery sector.