THE public has been urged to reject processed food that contains too much salt.

A report, published by the Medical Research Council (MRC), claims that, despite reductions by the food industry, people are still eating too much salt. The average adult consumes 9.5g a day, but the recommended level is 6g, according to Susan Jebb, head of nutrition and health research at the MRC’s centre in Cambridge.

It is hoped that the report, Why 6g?, will persuade the public and health professionals that reducing salt levels would save lives. According to the report, achieving the 6g target could cut strokes by 13 per cent and heart disease by 10 per cent nationwide.

Dr Jebb, speaking with her co-authors, Professor Peter Aggett, of the University of Central Lancashire, and Paul Lincoln, chief executive of the National Heart Forum, said that there was a consensus that consuming high levels of salt was harmful.

The claim has been contested by the salt industry. But Dr Jebb said that reducing salt intake was practical and would have no harmful effects, adding that three quarters of salt came from processed food and that only 10 per cent was added during cooking or at the table and that the main responsibility lay with the food industry.

Two weeks ago the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said that more than a third of its products contained less salt than a year ago and almost a quarter were low-salt variants.

However, Gavin Neath, the President of the FDF, said that consumers might turn to imported products if salt was further reduced. He said: “In blind tests consumers will always choose the more salted product. We are getting to a point where they will not tolerate too much reduction.”

Salt sales fell from £23 million in 2000 to £20 million this year, according to Mintel, the research group, but rock and sea salt have increased their share of that figure.

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at St George’s Hospital, London, said: “We have analysed sea and rock salt and it has more or less the same sodium chloride content as table and cooking salt. If we are to prevent heart disease and strokes, we need to get the message across that too much salt is bad for you, whatever it looks like or has on the label.”

Studies have shown that lowering salt intake lowers blood pressure, making it seem likely that it would also reduce the death rate. But there has been limited research to support this. The report cites only one study, which found that the death rate increased the more salt that was eaten. But the impact was only significant in men who were overweight.

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