The Health Promotion Board targets to reduce sodium intake by 15 per cent in the next five years, said its deputy director for policy and strategy development Eunice Pang on Monday , as the population currently consumes almost double the recommended dietary limit.
From 2019 to 2020, 35.5 per cent of the adult population here had hypertension, up from 24.2 per cent in 2017, the 2020 National Population Health Survey had found. In line with this, authorities are encouraging the replacement of salt, seasoning and sauces with lower-sodium alternatives as part of a three-pronged approach to tackle the sodium intake problem.
The board added that switching to the lower-sodium alternative is “a practical approach to cutting sodium without compromising on taste, while conferring health benefits”. Salt suppliers can tap on HIDS to offset the production of lower-sodium salt and sauces, a grant introduced in 2017 to support the development of healthier food products.Major supermarkets Sheng Siong and NTUC FairPrice will be introducing more affordable lower-sodium salt by the end of the month.
However, a dietician cautioned that the higher price tags do not necessarily confer better health benefits.