Feasibility of salt reduction in processed foods in Argentina Factibilidad de reducir el contenido de sal de los alimentos procesados en la Argentina
OBJECTIVE: To assess an intervention to reduce salt intake based on an agreement with the food industry. METHODS: Salt content was measured in bakery products through a national survey and biochemical analyses. Low-salt bread was evaluated by a panel of taste testers to determine whether a reduced s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English Spanish Portuguese |
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Pan American Health Organization
2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doaj.org/article/cc316185a8054284a1ac8be828be8d5c |
| Summary: | OBJECTIVE: To assess an intervention to reduce salt intake based on an agreement with the food industry. METHODS: Salt content was measured in bakery products through a national survey and biochemical analyses. Low-salt bread was evaluated by a panel of taste testers to determine whether a reduced salt bread could remain undetected. French bread accounts for 25% of the total salt intake in Argentina; hence, reducing its salt concentration from 2% to 1.4% was proposed and tested. A crossover trial was conducted to evaluate the reduction in urinary sodium and blood pressure in participants during consumption of the low-salt bread compared with ordinary bread. RESULTS: Average salt content in bread was 2%. This study evaluated low-salt bread containing 1.4% salt. This reduction remained mostly undetected by the panels of taste testers. In the crossover trial, which included 58 participants, a reduction of 25 milliequivalents in 24hour urine sodium excretion, a reduction in systolic blood pressure of 1.66 mmHg, and a reduction in diastolic blood pressure of 0.76 mmHg were found during the low-salt bread intake. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that dietary salt reduction was feasible and well accepted in the population studied through a reduction of salt content in bread. Although the effects on urinary sodium and blood pressure were moderate, a countrywide intervention could have a greater public health impact. OBJETIVO: Evaluar una intervención destinada a reducir el consumo de sal a partir de un convenio con la industria alimentaria. MÉTODOS: Se midió el contenido de sal de los productos de panadería por medio de una encuesta nacional y análisis bioquímicos. Un grupo de catadores evaluó el pan con bajo contenido de sal para determinar si la disminución pasaba inadvertida. Dado que el pan francés representa 25% del consumo total de sal en la Argentina, se propuso someter a prueba este tipo de pan con una disminución de la concentración de sal de 2% a 1,4%. Se realizó un estudio cruzado con el fin de evaluar si los ... |
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