How do I read food labels for salt content?
On the whole, food labels only state the amount of sodium in food. This only makes up part of the total salt content, as salt contains both sodium and chloride. Sodium is shown in fractions per 100 grams of food. You need to multiply the amount of sodium per 100 grams by 2.5 in order to get the total salt content. In other words, 1 gram of sodium is the same as 2.5 grams of salt. You should aim to get your salt intake to less than 5 grams per day, which is 2 grams of sodium. This is the same as about a teaspoon-full. As a simple guide, avoid foods that contain more than 0.2 grams of sodium per 100 grams, and choose ones that contain less than 0.1 grams of sodium per 100 grams.
Food labelling can be misleading. Products stating that they contain less salt than standard versions of the same product may actually still have a lot of salt in them. The Food Standards Agency stipulates that any ?low salt' product should have at least 25% less salt than standard versions of the same product, but this does not necessarily mean that they are actually low in salt. For this reason, it is always best to read the label and evaluate the total salt content yourself.
How much salt is too much, and why is it harmful?
We all need some salt to stay healthy. But most people eat too much salt. The Department of Health and Food Standards Agency recommend that an adult?s total salt intake should be no more than 6 grams per day. The guidelines for children are: 0-12mths less than 1g a day; 1-3yrs 2gs a day (0.8g sodium); 4-6 yrs 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium); 7-10yrs 5g a day; 11yrs+ less than 6g a day. But the average person?s diet incorporates at least 9 grams per day.