Salt (Salt RI: 6g)

Salt is made up of sodium and chloride and it's the sodium component that at high doses can be bad for health.

Sodium plays many important roles in the body: it helps to regulate the body's water content and is involved in nerve function, muscular activity and energy utilisation.

sample labelSalt is a natural preservative and is used in foods to enhance flavour as well as prevent spoilage, it can also be used to give texture to foods.

Too much salt (containing sodium) in the diet can increase the blood pressure which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. For this reason it is recommended that daily salt intakes should not exceed 6 grams. Consumers can use the salt labels to check and compare the salt contents of foods and choose lower salt versions.

The Reference Intake for salt is 6 grams (2.4 grams sodium).