Food firms need a pinch of reality

SALT is essential for human life. Without it our bodies would not function. It also adds flavour to food and, since the dawn of human civilisation, it has been used as an important preservative. Not to put too fine a point on it, we would not be here without a pinch of common or garden salt. However, it is possible to get too much of a good thing.

A new study shows that Britons are still consuming far too much salt in their diet than is healthy – around 50 per cent too much, in fact. The average daily salt intake in the UK is now 8.6 grams, with men consuming 9.7 grams and women a more modest ...