How to reduce salt in processed and packaged food

Nutritionist and reformulation expert Vanessa Clarkson will be speaking about reducing salt in Australia’s processed and packaged food in a webinar hosted by the Heart Foundation and VicHealth.

The Reformulation Readiness webinar on Friday, 26 July at 12.30 pm (AEST) provides information to help Australian food manufacturers implement a best-practice salt reduction program. Having authored Australia’s salt reformulation guide in May, Clarkson will be joined by salt reduction food industry liaison Elizabeth Joldeski.

Clarkson and Joldeski will discuss consumer communication considerations, determining nutritional composition and setting targets, best approaches to salt reduction, sensory testing and shelf-life testing.

“When salt reduction is done in a stepwise fashion, consumer palates can adapt. And looking at work done overseas, as well as closer to home, we know it’s possible to make some significant reductions to salt levels without compromising on product quality. Reformulation is one tool among many that we have to improve diets for better health,” Clarkson said.

The online reformulation guide and upcoming webinar are resources developed through the Unpack the Salt campaign to support food manufacturers as they begin the process of reformulation. Manufacturers are encouraged to reduce salt in their processed and packaged foods to benefit consumer health, as excess salt consumption can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

Manufacturers can find a range of resources including best practice reformulation case studies from food manufacturers like Barilla, Woolworths and Unilever, on the Unpack the Salt website. The website also features food category reports and information on grants.

To log in to the free webinar, visit here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/hriana