Lowering sodium in packaged and prepared foods could significantly improve cardiovascular health and prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke and deaths in the general population in France and the U.K., according to two new research studies published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.
Consuming too much sodium is a major risk factor for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, which can lead to health complications such as heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease, dementia and other forms of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.
To address the global concern about excessive sodium consumption many countries have implemented salt-reduction strategies to improve public health and reduce health costs.
Two studies – one in France involving salt-reduction targets for baguettes and other bread products in 2025, and the other in the United Kingdom focusing on 2024 goals for takeaway and packaged foods – estimated the potential impact on the general population if those salt-reduction targets were met. The projections calculated in these two studies indicate that minor adjustments in sodium content to some of the most common prepared foods in each country would require no effort from people to change their eating habits, yet may produce significant public health benefits.
“This approach is particularly powerful because it does not rely on individual behaviour change, which is often difficult to achieve and sustain. Instead, it creates a healthier food environment by default,” said Clémence Grave, M.D., lead author of the study from France and epidemiologist and public health physician at the French National Public Health Agency, headquartered in Saint-Maurice near Paris.
The World Health Organization recommends adults should consume less than 2,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, however, global intake is much higher. The American Heart Association recommends daily intake of no more than 2300mg of sodium a day – equal to about 1 teaspoon of table salt; but also says the ideal limit is no higher than 1500 mg per day for most adults, especially for those with high blood pressure.
Sodium reduction in bread (France)
In 2019, France set a national public health goal to reduce salt consumption by 30%. In 2022, a voluntary agreement was signed between the government and bread producers to lower salt content by 2025. Bread, especially the baguette, is a culturally and nutritionally central food in France, yet it can be high in salt– traditionally contain about 25% of total daily recommended intake of salt. By 2023, most breads made in France already met the new sodium standards.
To understand the potential impact of the agreement on public health, researchers used national data and a mathematical model to estimate how many cases of cardio-cerebrovascular disease (conditions and diseases that affect both the heart and the brain’s blood vessels), kidney disease and dementia could be prevented if the salt-reduction targets met full compliance.
The analysis found that with bread consumption remaining the same and sodium-reduction targets fully met, less salt in baguettes and bread would decrease daily intake by 0.35 g per person, leading to slightly lower blood pressure across the population.
“This salt-reduction measure went completely unnoticed by the French population – no one realised that bread contained less salt,” Grave said. “Our findings show that reformulating food products, even with small, invisible changes, can have a significant impact on public health.”
Sodium reduction in packaged foods and take-out meals (United Kingdom)
For the study in the U.K., researchers used national survey data to estimate the amount of salt people consumed from pre-prepared packaged and take-out meals. They then estimated daily sodium intake if all relevant food categories met the 2024 sodium-reduction targets.
Sales-weighted average and maximum salt content targets were set for 84 grocery food categories – including bread, cheeses, meats, and snacks – and, for the first time, 24 out-of-home categories such as burgers, curries, and pizza. The modelling also covered how these changes could affect heart disease, stroke, quality of life and health care costs.
The research found that fully meeting the sodium reduction goals could have reduced average salt intake from about 6.1 g to 4.9g per day – translating to an estimated average of 17.5% less salt consumed per person per day. Men would experience slightly larger reductions than women because they tend to consume more salt in general.
Even this small, daily reduction in salt would lower blood pressure modestly across the population, and the improvements could add up.
Source: American Heart Association
