Royal DSM has collaborated on a modelling case study to assess the public health benefit of salt reduction. The study has demonstrated that small actions, such as reducing salt in soup, as part of a broader initiative of salt reduction, can add up and can make a difference in human health.
Using a modelling tool, the study demonstrated that it is possible to achieve a small public health impact through salt reduction in soup. In this case study, 25% less salt content in soup was selected as realistic and challenging product reformulation.
Such a salt reduction can be achieved over time with small steps by having consumers adapt to a less salty taste and by using taste enhancers such as yeast extracts (DSM’s Maxarome solution) to ensure that taste is maintained.
The results show a possible reduction of the cardiovascular disease burden in the Netherlands by approximately 800 lifetime Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Further findings from the case study have been published in Nutrients, available on the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MPDI), a platform for peer-reviewed, scientific open-access journals.
Reducing salt intake has been identified as an important and cost effective measure for improving public health outcomes and is recognised as such by international organisations like the World Health Organization. Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality, which could be lowered through the reduction of salt intake.
