Our partners

In the third phase of its salt campaign, the Food Standards Agency is working closely with the following key organisations.

Blood Pressure Association

Mike Rich, Executive Director, Blood Pressure Association, said: 'Eating too much salt is a major factor in the development of high blood pressure, the main cause of strokes and heart disease, and a condition which affects 16 million people in the UK. It is therefore vital that everyone understands that the amount of salt they eat has a direct effect on their health, and that they are given the practical information needed to reduce their salt consumption.

'The Blood Pressure Association is delighted that the FSA will be helping to inform consumer choice by raising awareness about the amount of salt that is 'hidden' in everyday foods and by encouraging consumers to choose lower salt options by checking food labels.'

British Heart Foundation (BHF)

The BHF's Social Cooking project aims to reduce the amount of salt used in 'social cooking' for meals prepared in Hindu temples and Sikh Gurdwaras and to increase levels of healthier eating within the local communities served by these places of worship. This project will be conducted in London, Bradford and Birmingham.

Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications at the BHF, said: 'There is too much salt lurking in processed food. You can't always taste it, and sometimes it is in the most unlikely products. It can cause high blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease, so we've all got to become detectives on the trail of this hidden killer. By simply checking the labels and switching to a lower-salt option, you'll be doing your heart a favour.'

Bristol PCT

Bristol PCT's project aims to recruit and train local peer facilitators to work with specific black and minority ethnic communities on a salt awareness programme, including cooking and shopping skills. This project will be based in Bristol.

Richard Weatherhead, Chair of Bristol PCT, said: 'Bristol Primary Care Trust is delighted to be participating in phase three of the Agency's salt campaign. We will be engaging with people from African Caribbean, Somali and Asian communities working through a team of trained community peer educators. Our partners include the Black Development Agency and Primary Care Trust Community Dietitians.'

Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH)

Professor Graham McGregor, Chairman of CASH, said: 'The UK is leading the world in reducing salt intake. We strongly support the Food Standards Agency's new campaign to make the public more aware of the large amount of salt that is added to food by the food industry.

'The public should now start avoiding foods where there are lower-salt alternatives. The overall campaign will lower blood pressure and decrease the number of people suffering and dying from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure, the biggest causes of disability and death in the UK.'

Diabetes UK

The Diabetes UK project aims to work with 100 primary schools to educate children on salt and run store tours with parents/carers from these schools. This is a national project.

Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK said: 'Diabetes UK fully supports the Food Standards Agency's campaign to reduce salt. Too much salt in a person's diet can raise blood pressure. Good blood pressure control has been found to be just as important as blood glucose control in helping to prevent many of the complications associated with poor diabetes control.

'Diabetes UK is conducting an initiative aimed at both children and parents/carers, providing schools with age-appropriate materials on the importance of healthy eating, particularly focusing on salt reduction. Parents/carers will participate in store tours run by dietitians, focusing on food labelling and hidden salt levels.'

Food Commission

The Food Commission's 'Eat Less Salt' project aims to work with housing association residents and staff to:

• improve salt eating patterns leading to reduction in consumption and leaving in place ways of working that are sustainable
• develop good-practice methods for involving housing associations in projects to promote healthy eating

This project will be based in the Hexagon Housing Association Residence in South East London.

Jessica Mitchell, Director of the Food Commission, said: 'We are thrilled to be working with the Food Standards Agency on the next stage of their salt campaign. Our project will work closely with Hexagon Housing Association to encourage staff and residents to reduce their salt consumption through special 'Eat less salt' workshops.

'Everyone involved in the project is very excited about this partnership working and we all look forward to making a lasting difference to people's diets.'

Haringey Teaching PCT

Haringey Teaching PCT's 'Salt it out!' project aims to assist 400 people from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups to improve salt practices through store tours and four-week cook and eat programmes. This project will be based in Haringey and will target BME groups and Turkish and Irish communities.

Dr Ann-Marie Connolly, Director of Public Health at Haringey TPCT, said: 'Haringey TPCT fully support the FSA campaign and are very excited to be part of phase 3 of the campaign.

'We have developed a range of local projects to help people from black and minority ethnic groups to cut down on their salt intake. We will be running grocery tours for people to learn how to interpret food labels in relation to salt content, and practical cook and eat sessions to learn how to cook low-salt versions of traditional ethnic dishes. We will be working with community groups to achieve this.

'It is important that people not only understand the risks associated with consuming a diet high in salt, but that they have the practical skills and are supported to make these changes.'

Kent County Council Trading Standards

Kent Trading Standards Service's 'Working Towards Less Salt' project aims to provide interactive displays and activities on salt reduction in the workplace. Supporting literature will be circulated to employees with payslips. The salt content of key foods offered in the workplace will be undertaken, to encourage improvements in food provision, particularly offering lower-salt alternatives. This project will be based in Kent and will target men in the workplace.

The Service said: 'Kent Trading Standards Service is delighted to be working in partnership with the Food Standards Agency as they enter phase three of their salt campaign. As a Service, we are keen to improve food standards and give consumers the knowledge and skills to make informed choices about the food they eat. People are increasingly aware of the health benefits of reducing salt in their diet and we now want to go a step further and help them make the choices that will reduce their salt intake.

'Kent Trading Standards will be running a workplace project targeting men, with displays and activities to enable employees to make healthier salt choices. The project will also support employers to reduce the levels of salt in the foods they provide their employees so healthier food choices are actually available.'

Manchester Food Futures Partnership

The Manchester Food Futures Partnership's 'Tasty not salty' project aims to reduce the consumption of salt in black and minority ethnic communities through group sessions incorporating behavioural techniques. This project will be based in Manchesterand will target South Asian and Caribbean groups.

Christine Raiswell, Food Futures Programme Manager of Manchester Food Futures Partnership, said: 'Manchester Food Futures is a partnership of the public and private sectors working together to improve the city's food. We believe that everyone in Manchester has a right to good food: no-one should have this right denied because of where they live, their income, or their background. We believe that good food is enjoyable; it is safe; nutritious; environmentally sustainable; and produced ethically and fairly.

'We are delighted to support the Food Standards Agency salt reduction campaign. We have received a grant to run a community-based project with South Asian and Caribbean communities in Manchester to encourage sustained healthy salt consumption and so improve health.'

Men's Health Forum

An astonishing 33% of men have raised blood pressure or are being treated for it, making it essential that men understand the risks of consuming too much salt. The salt campaign is vital if we are to reduce the unnecessarily high level of premature deaths of men from heart disease.'

National Children's Bureau (NCB)

The NCB's 'All Salted?' project targets young mothers and fathers aged 14-21 to implement a salt reduction life skills and health programme, including adapting and applying the FSA salt-o-meter. Pilots will run in Somerset and Nottingham

Paul Ennals, Chief Executive of the National Children's Bureau, said: 'National Children's Bureau (NCB) is delighted to support the Food Standards Agency's campaign aimed at reducing salt intake by the public.

'We are deeply concerned by the high levels of salt, sugar and fat in children's diets.It is vital that we help children and families to initiate and maintain healthy lifestyles, especially those who face a multitude of barriers to achieving good health and for whom the health risks of high salt intake are not a priority.

'NCB's 'All Salted?' project aims to enable young parents to make and sustain reductions in their own and their children's salt intake by developing a salt reduction and life skills programme in partnership with young parents. It will reinforce the FSA's advertising campaign messages and most importantly embed awareness in local communities of the importance of a low-salt and healthy diet.'

Netmums

Cathy Court, Director of Food and Nutrition at Netmums, said: 'Thanks to the work of the FSA and others, most people now understand that they need to eat less salt. Unfortunately, putting this knowledge into practice and choosing a lower-salt diet is sometimes difficult, especially when so much of the salt we consume is hidden within processed food. Many parents risk their own health and that of their children by unwittingly opting for high-salt foods.

'Netmums fully supports the Food Standards Agency in its salt campaign, which highlights the issue of hidden salt so well.

'Netmums offers healthy eating advice for its members and will be helping the FSA to pass on this important message about salt consumption.'

National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI)

Fay Mansell, Chair of the NFWI, said: 'The NFWI has a long history of commitment to improving the nation's diet and health and we continue to fully support the FSA's campaign to reduce salt. We recognise the role salt plays in putting people's health at risk and we urge the food industry to play their part in ensuring the health of the nation and continue to make salt reductions in their products.'

Trading Standards Institute (TSI)

Ron Gainsford, Chief Executive of TSI, said: 'Over the years, TSI has been a strong advocator of the reduction in the levels of salt in processed foods. We have admired and supported the FSA's attempts to raise awareness of what constitutes unhealthy food through their national campaigns such as Sid the Slug.

'In this regard, we have sought to work with the FSA in partnership, in developing a toolkit that would enable Trading Standards Officers to work with businesses to reduce the amount of salt in the food they produce. This follows on from other activities that we have completed over the last few years, for example, the Liverpool Trading Standards project on the salt and fat content in takeaway food. Notably, this highlights the Trading Standards Service's collective desire to work towards solutions that ultimately improve the health of consumers.'