“Food and Water is Life!” – Food Forum in Walgett
Following media coverage last year highlighting the high sodium levels in the bore water used by the community, and previous discussions with community members, a Food Forum was held in Walgett, NSW, Australia. It was hosted by Yuwaya Ngarra-li, a community-led partnership between the Dharriwaa Elders Group (DEG) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The […]
Sodium Reduction: Assessment to Action
The Health Resources in Action team have recently released an online sodium reduction assessment and action tool kit for food services. The aim of the toolkit is to assist the food service sector to conduct their assessment and then turn their results into an action plan. Areas covered include: food service guidelines and standards, food […]
Salt-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours on Efate Island, Vanuatu
Sparks E et al published an article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health on salt-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in a sub-national sample in Vanuatu. They found that salt-related knowledge was high, with over 80% agreeing that too much salt could cause health problems, and that it was ‘very important’ to lower […]
Advocacy organisations file a complaint in federal court to Stop USDA’s Weakening of Nutrition Standards for School Meals
In December 2018 in the US, the Trump Administration rolled back nutrition standards for school meals, including sodium and whole grain standards. For sodium, the new rule delayed the date schools had to comply with the first and second sodium reduction target and eliminated the third target. In April 2019, Healthy School Food Maryland and […]
Mean Dietary Salt Intake in Vanuatu: A Population Survey of 755 Participants on Efate Island
A study in Nutrients by Paterson K et al estimated mean population salt intake in a sub-national sample in Vanuatu. Mean salt intake was estimated to be 7.2 g/day from spot urine samples (n=483), and 5.9 g/day from 24-h urine samples (n=71). Men had higher salt intakes than women, based on spot urine samples. Due […]
The Science of Salt: Updating the evidence on global estimates of salt intake
A recent review by Thout SR et al aimed to update the evidence on population salt intake globally, following the 2010 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Studies that measured salt intake using 24-hour urine collection in a nationally representative sample between January 2011 and September 2018 were included. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, […]
Packaged foods on the Mexican market found to be high in sodium
Nieto C et al conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate how many products on the Mexican market met sodium benchmark targets. Three benchmark targets were compared against; targets set by the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (UK FSA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Mexican Commission for the Protection of Health Risks (COFEPRIS). […]
Staff Profile: Emalie Rosewarne
Emalie Rosewarne is a PhD candidate and Research Assistant at The George Institute for Global Health. She is also an Accredited Practising Dietitian and holds a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics from The University of Sydney. Emalie’s main area of research, and the topic of her PhD, is in institutional nutrition policies and their impact […]
Impact of salt reduction on health outcomes – modelling study in Cameroon
A modelling study by Aminde LN et al investigated the potential health impacts of reducing salt intake by the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) recommended 30% relative reduction in Cameroon. The model predicted a decreased lifetime incidence of ischaemic heart disease, haemorrhagic strokes, ischaemic strokes and hypertensive heart disease, and decreased mortality rates from these causes. […]
Launch of ‘Reformulation Readiness – a best practice guide for Australian food manufacturers’
On May 3rd 2019, the Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership, consisting of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), the Heart Foundation, The George Institute for Global Health and other partners, launched Australia’s first how-to guide for salt reduction in processed and packaged foods, titled ‘Reformulation Readiness: A best practice guide to salt reduction for Australian food […]