Switching regular salt (sodium chloride) to salt enriched with potassium chloride (25 % potassium chloride, 75 % sodium chloride) has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We sought to define the potential for the current production of sodium chloride and potassium chloride to support a global switch to the use of potassium-enriched salt.

We summarised data from geological surveys, government reports and trade organisations describing the global production and supply of sodium chloride and potash (the primary source of potassium chloride) and compared this to potential requirements for potassium-enriched salt.

Global.

Not applicable.

Approximately 280 million tonnes of sodium chloride were produced in 2020 with China and the USA the main producers. Global production of potash from which potassium chloride is extracted was about forty-four million tonnes with Canada, Belarus, Russia and China providing 77 % of the world’s supply. There were forty-eight countries in which potassium-enriched salt is currently marketed with seventy-nine different brands identified. Allowing for loss of salt between manufacture and consumption, a full global switch from regular salt to potassium-enriched salt would require about 9·7 million tonnes of sodium chloride to be replaced with 9·7 million tonnes of potassium chloride annually.

Significant upscaling of the production of potassium chloride and the capacity of companies able to manufacture potassium-enriched salt, as well as a robust business case for the switch to potassium chloride, would be required.

To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to salt consumption among adults in rural and urban North India.

Data for the study were obtained from a community-based cross-sectional survey using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and 24 h urine samples.

Data collection was conducted during March–October 2012 in rural Haryana and urban Delhi in North India.

Adults (n 1635) aged ≥20 years (701 in rural Haryana; 934 in urban Delhi).

Twenty-four per cent of rural and 40·5 % of urban participants knew that a high-salt diet causes high blood pressure. Nearly one-fifth of both rural and urban participants knew that there should be a maximum daily limit for consumption of salt. In rural and urban areas, 46·6 and 45·1 %, respectively, perceived it important to reduce the salt content of their diet; however, only 3·7 and 10·2 %, respectively, reported taking some actions. Participants reported they were consuming ‘too little salt’, ‘just the right amount of salt’ or ‘too much salt’, but their corresponding mean (95 % CI) actual salt consumption (g/d; as measured by 24 h urinary Na excretion) was higher, especially among rural participants (rural: 9·2 (8·13, 10·22), 8·5 (8·19, 8·77) or 8·4 (7·72, 8·99); urban: 5·6 (4·67, 6·57), 5·7 (5·32, 6·01) or 4·6 (4·10, 5·14), respectively).

Knowledge about the deleterious health impact of excess salt consumption is low in this population. Tailored public education for salt reduction is warranted with a particular focus on rural residents.

In 2007 the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to encourage the Australian government to take action to reduce population salt intake. The objective of the present research was to assess the impact of the Drop the Salt! campaign on government policy.

A review of government activities related to salt reduction was conducted and an advocacy strategy implemented to increase government action on salt. Advocacy actions were documented and the resulting outcomes identified. An analysis of stakeholder views on the effectiveness of the advocacy strategy was also undertaken.

Advocacy activities were coordinated through AWASH at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney.

All relevant State and Federal government statements and actions were reviewed and thirteen stakeholders with known interests or responsibilities regarding dietary salt, including food industry, government and health organisations, were interviewed.

Stakeholder analysis affirmed that AWASH influenced the government's agenda on salt reduction and four key outputs were attributed to the campaign: (i) the Food Regulation Standing Committee discussions on salt, (ii) the Food and Health Dialogue salt targets, (iii) National Health and Medical Research Council partnership funding and (iv) the New South Wales Premier's Forum on Fast Foods.

While it is not possible to definitively attribute changes in government policy to one organisation, stakeholder research indicated that the AWASH campaign increased the priority of salt reduction on the government's agenda. However, a coordinated government strategy on salt reduction is still required to ensure that the potential health benefits are fully realised.

As beliefs and knowledge about the possible effects of foods on health can influence food behaviours, this study examined selected dietary beliefs in the Baltic countries and the association of beliefs related to salt intake and to types of fat with food behaviours.

A cross-sectional study.

Data from three surveys conducted in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the summer of 1997 were used to describe the prevalence of dietary beliefs in these countries and to investigate the association between beliefs and behaviours (using logistic regression).

Representative national samples of adults were selected in each country (Estonia, n=2018; Latvia, n=2308; Lithuania, n=2153).

Misunderstood concepts (myths) related to dietary salt, types of fat, meat consumption and bread and potatoes were observed in high proportions of the population. Education level was an important correlate of beliefs related to salt intake and types of fat, people with a higher education level being more likely to be familiar with these issues. Correct beliefs were not consistently associated with healthier behaviours (e.g. less frequent use of salt at the table and use of non-animal fats for cooking), except for salt intake in Estonia.

Several misunderstood dietary concepts (myths) are still prevalent in the Baltic countries. Correct beliefs related to salt intake and types of fat were not consistent predictors of healthier food behaviours. In-depth qualitative investigations are needed to better describe and understand dietary beliefs and attitudes in the Baltic countries, and to identify barriers to the adoption of healthy food habits.

To assess how well supermarket sales data from a major supermarket chain can reflect on regional differences in dietary behaviour by comparing the sales data with the results provided by the annual health behaviour surveys.

Cross-sectional observational study.

The study was carried out in six Finnish cities situated in different parts of Finland. For the study supermarket sales data of milk, sour milk, fats and oils for 1 month, September 1997, were obtained from eight supermarkets. Proportional sales of different types of dairy products were calculated as well as mean salt and fat per cent and the proportion of saturated fat to total fat. The health behaviour surveys from spring 1995, 1996 and 1997 provided information about dietary habits of the adult population in the cities. The reported use of dairy products was compared with the percentage sales.

The proportional sales of dairy products varied between the cities. In Pori in western Finland the sale of milk fat was highest in all food groups. In Oulu, northern Finland, the sale of non-fat milk was high. In the capital region the sale of oil was highest. Regional differences could also be seen in the survey data. The similarity between the two different datasets was high.

The use of supermarket sales data for assessing regional differences in health behaviour is feasible. The challenge will be to get supermarket managers willing to provide sales data on a routine basis for monitoring and research.

The aim of the study was to examine the daily variations in sales data for individual food items in a supermarket and to assess the usefulness of the computerized sales data of supermarkets for reliable monitoring and evaluation of shopping behaviour.

Longitudinal observational study.

The study was carried out in one supermarket in Mikkeli, Finland. Seventy-nine packed food items from food groups important for salt and fat intake were monitored. In all food groups both ‘healthier’ and ‘reference’ products were included for assessment of both direct sales and proportional sales. The sales data were collected daily for 2 months in May and September 1996 by reading the European Article Numbering (EAN) codes of the packed foods.

The proportional sales turned out to be a more stable and useful measure than the direct sales data and the variation remained the same when the monitoring time was increased from 1 week to 1 month.

Proportional sales data are proposed as a tool for measuring the effect of nutrition interventions and also as a possible indirect assessment for population salt and fat intake.