Most of the salt in the diet comes from processed foods, and it has been established that increased sodium-salt levels increase the risk of hypertension, which may result in cardiovascular diseases. It has also been documented that a reduced salt intake reduces blood pressure. Due to an increased focus on health, salt in foods causes growing concern, and the food industry is being encouraged to reduce the salt levels in food. 

The question remains whether consumers are motivated to purchase low-salt foods. Researchers from the MAPP Centre at Aarhus University were asked to examine this question by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. The results have been published in the report “Salt og forbrugervalg – om forbrugernes forhold til salt i maden” (Salt and consumer choices – consumer opinions on salt contents in food) from DCA – Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture. The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, and is part of Aarhus University’s agreement on research based policy support.

Depending on consumer readiness to purchase salt-reduced foods

Marketing departments are increasingly challenged when it comes to developing communication strategies (for instance by means of labelling or information campaigns) for products with reduced salt contents and the industry is faced with challenges when it comes to consumer preferences for products that are tasty and healthy at the same time. Parts of the industry have already made significant headway in relation to product development within a number of food categories. If the industry in general is to develop more foods with reduced salt contents, it would depend on consumer readiness to buy the products.

The DCA report describes consumer readiness to purchase foods with reduced salt content based on results from two studies; a web-based study comprising 1030 participants and a shop experiment with 190 participants. In addition, qualitative interviews were carried out.

Labelling may help

The results demonstrate that only a few consumers are willing to reduce their salt intake. However, most consumers are open to the idea of tasting low-salt foods. If these foods are to be labelled, the labelling should indicate that the product meets the requirements from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration as to indicative salt intake, and not that the product has a reduced salt content.

The results from the shop experiment suggest that such labelling may be able to affect sales a little, but only for products such as chips, cakes, biscuits and cornflakes. The report further recommends that labels indicating that the product meets the requirements from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration as to indicative salt intake, should be supported by an information campaign.

Consumers replied that knowledge about salt as well as confidence in labelling is of major importance when deciding whether or not to buy a product with a salt content label.

You can download DCA report no. 115, 2018,  ”Salt og forbrugervalg – om forbrugernes forhold til salt i maden” (in Danish) here.

For further information please contact: PhD student Trine Mørk, MAPP Centre, Aarhus University, email: tmork@mgmt.au.dk, telefon: +45 8716 6125