New diet app is worth its salt
A new dietary app designed to curtail consumption of salt has been launched - amidst warnings that most of us are unwittingly ingesting ‘shocking and unnecessary levels’ of the mineral.
SaltSwitch informs shoppers of the volumes of the flavour enhancer in their chosen goods by simply scanning the barcode – before suggesting healthier alternatives which carry less of the pervasive ingredient.
The mobile tool is brainchild of the Consensus Action on Salt and Health campaign group, which said: "The shocking and unnecessary levels of salt hidden inside our weekly shopping baskets in a bid to help UK consumers reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes".
Estimates published by the Department of Health suggest that reducing salt intake by as little as 1g would save 4,147 preventable deaths and reduce NHS treatment bills by £288m every year.