Highlights

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The majority of Europeans use too much salt in their everyday food. On 8 June, EU health ministers adopted Council conclusions on action to reduce people's salt intake for better health.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, most Europeans' daily salt intake, about 8-11 g, far exceeds the recommended amount (4-5 g salt in adults). Around 70-75% of the salt we eat comes from processed foods.

Too much salt contributes to high blood pressure. This, in turn, is directly related to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. At present, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the EU.

The conclusions call on the member states to step up their salt reduction programmes. This can include, for instance, running public awareness campaigns and encouraging the food industry to lower the amount of salt in foods and meals as much as possible.

The Commission is asked to provide continuing support for member states' efforts. Together with them, it will regularly identify the lowest salt levels currently being achieved in the Union in different food groups. This benchmarking will help find to what extent the salt content can be cut in products that constitute major sources of salt in average diets.

More information:
Council conclusions (pdf)
Webcast of Council debate
Webcast of press conference