Coles hits sodium reduction targets

Coles is celebrating reaching its sodium reduction targets for its own-brand bread and breakfast cereals, which it says have removed more than 15 tonnes of salt from the Australian diet each year - the equivalent of 2.5 million teaspoons per annum.

The retailer has reformulated 16 of its bread and breakfast cereal products as part of its sodium reduction target, which was outlined in 2008.

The company is also working to reduce the salt content of a number of high-sodium products, including cheese, savoury pies, hams and bacons, savoury crackers, soups, simmer sauces and snack foods. These reformulations will reportedly deliver an additional 32% sodium reduction in the next 30 months.

“We are committed to reducing the ‘nasties’ from our Coles products, and the negative impact of excessive salt in the Australian diet is proven, with a direct correlation to high blood pressure that causes stress on our kidneys, arteries, heart and brain,” said Jackie Healing, Coles General Manager of Responsible Sourcing, Quality and Product Technology.

Coles puts each salt-reduced product through sensory testing to ensure the product’s flavour is not impacted.

Coles has participated in each of the Federal Department of Health and Ageing’s Food and Health Dialogue roundtables since their inception. The Coles program of review and sodium reduction has resulted in the majority (70%) of Coles’ own-brand products already meeting the sodium targets set by the roundtables.