Salt is often cited as one of the main things we need to be wary of in our diets, with high salt intake being linked with high blood pressure and and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Each year, there are over 100,000 strokes across the UK, and around 100,000 hospital admissions for heart attacks. This data comes from the British Heart Foundation, which noted that high blood pressure is the cause of over half of all strokes and heart attacks.
In step with that, experts are now calling for salt content warnings to be added to menus along with the calorie information introduced in 2022. The hope is that the information could play a ‘vital role’ in helping people to curb their salt intake.
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The call comes after researchers found the ‘strongest evidence to date’ that menu warnings are effective for discouraging UK customers from ordering high-salt foods.
Published in the Lancet Public Health journal, the Liverpool University-led study examined how around 2,400 adults responded to salt warning labels. The warnings highlighted dishes that contained over 50% of the recommended salt intake limit of 6g per day.
"Our study has found that salt warning labels on menus help people make healthier choices,” said Dr Rebecca Evans, the study's lead author.
"Given that excess salt intake is a leading cause of diet-related disease, this kind of labelling policy could play a vital role in improving population health.
"This study demonstrates that even small nudges at the point of purchase can encourage healthier choices."
An online trial saw participants reduce their salt intake by 0.26g per meal, while a real-world trial in Liverpool saw 454 people reduce their salt intake from restaurant orders by 0.54g.
Both trials saw equal efficacy between genders, age groups and education levels.
Sonia Pombo, a nutritionist from Action on Salt, said: "This important new study adds to the growing evidence that clear and visible salt warning labels on menus can positively influence consumer choices and reduce salt intake.
"Eating out is no longer an occasional indulgence – it's a routine part of daily life. Yet many meals are loaded with salt, often without our knowledge or consent.
"If we're serious about protecting public health and saving lives, salt reduction must be front and centre of the UK's food policy agenda."
The study is likely to be of interest to the UK government which is currently in the midst of introducing a range of healthcare overhauls aimed at reducing obesity levels and curbing the risk of chronic illness.
Rachael Davis