FSA salt awareness campaign continues
Monday 10 July 2006
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will run a series of 10-second television adverts throughout the summer, in order to maintain momentum and consumer awareness of its salt public health campaign's key messages.
The advert, which will be aired from 10 July through to October, is a shortened version of the television advert used during the second phase of the Agency's salt campaign in 2005. It features animated packaged foods, including a spaghetti bolognese, a chicken curry and a packet of meatballs, talking about their salt levels to encourage people to 'Eat no more than 6g of salt per day' and to 'Check the labels for lower salt products'.
The scheduling of the advert is being selected to reach our target audience of women aged 25-54 in the C2DE category and will run in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Agency is currently developing messaging and creative plans for the third phase of its salt campaign, which is expected to launch in spring 2007.
For more information, including stills of the advert, please contact Sarah Moore in the FSA press office on 020 7276 8821.
Notes to editors
Background to the FSA's salt campaign:
- In 2003, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a report entitled 'Salt and Health' which concluded that reducing the population's average salt intake would lower average blood pressure levels and therefore result in significant public health benefits by contributing to a reduction in cardiovascular disease.
- Scientific experts agree that excessive salt consumption increases the risk of high blood pressure, which, in turn, increases the chances of both cardiovascular disease and stroke. High blood pressure is a cause or contributing factor in 170,000 deaths in England alone each year.
- SACN recommended that the average population intake be reduced to 6g a day for adults. Specific targets were also set for children.
- Phase One of the Agency's public health campaign was launched in September 2004 – increasing awareness of the risks of high salt consumption. Research showed that the average salt intake in 2000/01 for adults was 9.5g per day (11g for men, 7.8g for women).
- Phase Two followed in October 2005, encouraging consumers to 'check the label' and emphasising the 6g a day recommendation. Phase Three, to be launched in 2007, will reinforce these messages.
Salt tv ads
For further information about the FSA's salt campaign, go to www.salt.gov.uk at the link below.
External links The Food Standards Agency has no responsibility for the content of external websites
Room 245 Aviation House,
125 Kingsway,
London WC2B 6NH
Telephone: 020 7276 8888
Out of hours duty pager: 07623 978344
Fax: 020 7276 8833
Email: press.mailbox@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk