1. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Salt Reduction
EU Initiative
Stephanie Bodenbach
European Commission,
Health and Consumers Directorate-General
Nutrition, food composition and labelling
June 13, 2013
Health in All Policies 2013
8th
Global Conference on Health Promotion
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2. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Salt Intake
2
adults
g salt /d
European Commission: Survey on Member States'
Implementation of the EU Salt Reduction Framework.
2012. http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_
activity/docs/salt_report1_en.pdf
• Estimates:
• Intakes above
recommendations
• Most countries 8-12g/d
• Few countries above or
below
• Different methods

3. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Strategy for Europe
on Nutrition,
Overweight and
Obesity-related
Health Issues
2007
3
Who? How?Context

4. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Salt Reduction in the EU
•
• High Level Group decision to work together on salt reduction
2 expert meetings
 EU Framework for National Salt Initiatives
• Common vision
• Voluntary
• Supporting and reinforcing national plans
• Comparable progress across EU
• Maintain flexibility for Member States
• Coordinated messages for EU food industry
• Generate momentum & measurable action

5. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
5 Key Elements:
Simultaneous & Interconnected Strands of Action
EU level actions
feedback Maximising impact:
prioritise products with
largest market share
across full product range
benefit entire population

6. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
6
Survey on Members States’
Implementation of the
EU Salt Reduction Framework
Progress 2008-'12
Voluntary approaches
complemented by
• Legislation
(maximum salt levels,
standards for mass caterers,
often regarding bread)
• Labelling

7. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Working with Economic Operators
7
• Most countries had negotiations
• Mixed but overall positive evaluation about willingness to engage
• 70% of countries that had negotiations reached concrete agreements,
of those two thirds reached quantifiable agreements
• A number of barriers for engagement were identified
European Commission: Survey on Member States'
Implementation of the EU Salt Reduction Framework.
2012. http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_
activity/docs/salt_report1_en.pdf

8. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Barriers for Engagement
• Room for further reductions is perceived to be small
• Imported products are not reduced in salt , therefore
national producers are not willing to reformulate for
financial, taste and technical reasons
• Some stakeholders reject the national strategy
• Smaller companies are less
engaged than bigger
companies
• Low willingness to engage
due to economic crisis
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9. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Factors Influencing the Implementation
• Supportive:
• Stakeholders
• Government /
governmental institutions
• EU initiative
• Industry support
• Legislation
• Raising public awareness
and reformulation
• Focus on biggest selling
products in the market
Challenges:
•Working with industry
•Lack of resources
•Economic crisis
•Raising public awareness
about salt and health
•Deciding national targets
•Long legislative process
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10. Health and
Consumers
Health and
Consumers
Conclusions
• Reduction of salt is a step by step process
• Ensuring consumer acceptance, allowing
for taste adaptation over time determines
speed of implementation
• Economic crisis had impact on funding available for public
health programmes – European & global developments
expected to increase momentum for salt reduction initiatives
• EU Framework was a catalyst for action:
new initiatives were introduced, model for national programs,
support for pre-exisiting programs, strenthened or broadened
approach, helped increase dialogue with industry
• It is important to understand barriers for engagement as
well as supporting factors
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