Meat Products: Salt

Processed meats are generally high in salt and, on average, meat and meat products contribute approximately 27% of salt intakes. A high intake of salt increases the risk of high blood pressure which, in turn, increases the risk of heart disease or a stroke. Reducing salt in foods by 1 gram per day, for example, could prevent 1,500 premature deaths each year, saving the National Health Service over £140 million.

To reduce salt levels in foods, the voluntary salt reduction programme sets targets for different food and drink product categories that contribute to salt intakes, including processed meats such as ham, bacon, and sausages. Businesses across all sectors of the food industry are required to work towards these targets. Separate targets on a meal basis have been set for the out of home sector, which includes processed meats where appropriate.

The targets were first set in 2006 and have been revised downwards five times to continually reduce salt content, with the most recent targets published in 2020. Businesses are expected to achieve the latest levels set by the end of 2024.

The most recent assessment of industry progress suggests that small reductions in salt content were seen in some meat products between 2017 and 2018. Salt intakes decreased from 9.38 grams to 8.4 grams a day between 2000 and 2018/19.