Salt self-reporting framework

The Agency published voluntary salt reduction targets in March 2006, which aim to help progress towards our Strategic Plan target of reducing average population salt intakes to no more than 6g a day for adults (less for children), and also to help guide the food industry as to the levels of reduction that the Agency considers achievable.

Following this, the FSA has worked with stakeholders to develop a self-reporting framework, which will be used to track industry's progress towards achieving these salt targets and help inform the review of targets planned for 2008.

The FSA held a number of meetings with stakeholders between June and November 2006, to inform the development of the self-reporting framework and establish the type of data that industry is able and willing to provide on salt (or sodium) levels in foods.

As a result of these discussions, the FSA has developed two data collection spreadsheets, with supporting instructions, to gather information for the self-reporting framework on an annual basis. Industry should choose one of the spreadsheets to use, depending on whether they are going to include a sales weighted average or not.

Ideally, the FSA would like to obtain volume sales weighted average data from individual companies because this will provide meaningful information that is relevant to average population salt intakes. However, the Agency acknowledges that providing a sales weighted average may be burdensome for smaller companies or those with a large portfolio of products.

The Agency would like industry to submit data for the framework by 10 October 2007 – two months from the publication of the framework documents. Data that is submitted will be collated and published on the Agency’s website.

When using one of the Excel spreadsheets, save it to your PC, fill it in and then send it to the FSA, rather than completing it online.