Hong Kong Commends Bread Sodium Reduction Scheme Achieving Up to 17% Cut
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) announced on Tuesday, World Heart Day, that a voluntary scheme encouraging bread manufacturers to reduce sodium levels has achieved significant results since its 2019 rollout. The scheme has garnered participation from all 26 bread manufacturers, who together produce about 80 types of white and wholemeal bread products. The announcement comes as a government survey revealed that more than 80 percent of Hong Kong adults consume salt above the World Health Organization's recommended daily limit.
Key Points
- The voluntary scheme involves 7 pre-packaged and 19 non-packaged bread manufacturers producing approximately 80 bread varieties
- Sodium targets: white bread capped at 380mg per 100g (maximum 490mg), wholemeal bread at 380mg average (maximum 470mg)
- Average sodium reduction ranged from 10 to 17 percent, with some manufacturers achieving over 40 percent reduction
- A Department of Health survey (2020-2022) found Hongkongers aged 15-84 consume 8.4 grams of salt daily
- Over 80 percent of Hong Kong adults aged 15-84 exceed the WHO daily salt limit of 5 grams
Why It Matters
High salt intake raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke—major health concerns for Hong Kong's aging population. The bread sodium reduction scheme represents a preventive public health measure that could contribute to reducing the city's burden of diet-related chronic diseases without requiring individuals to change their eating habits .
High salt intake raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke—major health concerns for Hong Kong's aging population. The bread sodium reduction scheme represents a preventive public health measure that could contribute to reducing the city's burden of diet-related chronic diseases without requiring individuals to change their eating habits .