Time to cut back on this killer condiment
SA law leads the world — now it’s a matter of self-control for us
NO pinch of salt is required when celebrity chef Siba Mtongana announces that South Africa is setting a global example.
With a degree in food and consumer sciences, she is well aware of the havoc salt wreaks on people’s health, and is a “passionate supporter” of the salt regulations that kicked in at the end of June.
“I am so proud that our country is a pioneer in this initiative,” she said.
South Africa was the first country to put salt reduction into legislation, and others are turning to us for advice.
Local and international experts, including the World Health Organisation, met in Cape Town last week to look at a “road map” for further salt cuts.
South Africa’s approach was “truly progressive”, said Karen Charlton, a public health expert from Australia.
“Australia and the UK, for example, have developed voluntary targets for salt levels in food, but the food industry is not obliged to stick to them.”
Dr Krisela Steyn, a retired health expert who headed the Chronic Diseases Initiative for Africa at the University of Cape Town for many years, said South Africa had quickly become a world leader in tackling salt.
Professor Melvyn Freeman, chief director of the noncommunicable diseases cluster in the Department of Health, said salt was by far the biggest factor causing hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
“On average, South Africans are taking in 8g of salt a day. It needs to be reduced to 5g — but in some areas in the country it is as high as 40g.”
Our two main sources of salt are what is put into what we eat by the food industry and what we add ourselves.
In the northern hemisphere, 85% comes from industry, but in South Africa the figure is just 60%.
“This means that getting industry on board does help, but we really need a double-barrelled approach to also get people to stop putting it in their meals at home,” said Steyn.
It took only two weeks for the palate to adjust to less salt, said Jacqui Webster of the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia, and there was no evidence that people started adding their own salt if industry reduced it.
“Industry in South Africa is now making new products with the regulations in mind, and that really levels the playing field,” she said.
Donald Brown, owner of the MODERATION: Siba Mtongana says fresh herbs can replace salt Donald Brown Group of Companies which is made up of big industry players such as Royal Salt and Saltcor, said the legislation had affected business but he supported it. The legislation had “an adverse effect on the volumes of salt” sold, but “we believe salt should be used in moderation and the legislation is fair and in the best interest of the consumer”, he said.
Pamela Naidoo, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, said a successful salt-reduction strategy could avert the 3.6 million deaths a year across the world caused by high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
In 2019 the food industry will be legally obliged to further reduce the use of salt.
We believe salt should be used in moderation and the legislation is fair