Bakers across the county have been working closely with Trading Standards officers to cut salt levels in freshly baked bread.
Thirteen bakers in Suffolk have now been issued with Salt Aware certificates following a series of bread sampling by Suffolk Trading Standards.
The certificate demonstrates a commitment to meeting the voluntary salt levels set by the Food Standards Agency for 2012.
During the initial process, Trading Standards carried out a series of sampling stages and ensured that all types of bread produced met the relevant targets. Forty samples of locally baked bread from 27 bakeries were taken across Suffolk and analysed for salt levels.
In direct response to health-conscious consumers, participating bakers reviewed the salt content in their bread without compromising on quality and the processes used.
Recommended dietary salt levels vary with age – adults are meant to have no more than 6g of salt in their diet per day, while toddlers should have no more than 2g. The results showed variations from 0.3g – 1.9g of salt per 100g of bread, with an average of 1.1g. The FSA salt targets are 1.1g for 2010 and 1.0g for 2012.
The bakeries meeting the voluntary targets by producing bread containing less salt then 1g per 100g of bread are:
- Crofts Bakery,Ipswich
- Finneys Bakery,NeedhamMarket
- Crumbs Bakery, Hadleigh
- Masons Bakery,Lowestoft
- Heli’s Bakery,Lowestoft
- RoysBake House,Lowestoft
- The Bread Basket, Felixstowe
- HurstsBakery, Clare
- Five branches of Bushells Bakeries acrossLowestoft
Kevin Adams, owner of the Bread Basket in Felixstowe said; “I am very grateful to have been asked by Trading Standards to enter into a program of salt reduction in our bread earlier this year. Having worked together over the past few months we are now able to label our bread as low in salt and display an eye catching certificate on our shop floor.
“This enables us to reassure our customers – they can now purchase our bread with the confidence of knowing that we are consciously taking their health into consideration in reducing our salt levels.”
Councillor Colin Spence, Suffolk County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Protection said; “We have worked closely with local bakeries to protect consumers who may have been eating too much salt as a result of purchasing fresh loaves of bread sold without nutritional labeling.
“It is really important for consumers to feel safe in the knowledge that their local baker is openly displaying the content of salt in their products. The project has not only improved the county council’s relationship with local businesses, but also reminds consumers that although bread is a good source of nutrients and fibre, it is a large contributor of salt in our diets and we have to be mindful to purchase products with acceptable levels of it.”
For more information visit: http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/BusinessAndConsumer/TradingStandards/Reducing+Salt+in+Bread.htm
