The UK’s Salt Manufacturers Association (SMA) has said it has lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority over the use of a cartoon slug in the government’s new campaign to reduce salt consumption.
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The SMA claims that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) character “Sid the Slug” is based on the fact that salt kills slugs and the assertion that it will also kill humans. The SMA argues that there is no evidence to show that salt has ever been responsible for human deaths.
“We realise that Sid is intended as a fun character but the message he carries is a serious one that is incorrect and potentially very damaging to the image of an essential product,” said SMA general secretary Peter Sherratt.
The FSA says that eating too much salt is a significant risk factor in developing high blood pressure, which is a cause or contributing factor in 170,000 deaths a year in England alone. It also says that studies show that reducing salt in the diet can lower blood pressure within four weeks.
The SMA argues that some groups, such as the elderly and pregnant women, may be at risk from following blanket advice to reduce their salt intake.
“Sid and the campaign that surrounds him is costing the British taxpayer a massive £4m (US$7.2m), yet the research that is needed to produce conclusive evidence would probably cost little more than £100,000. When it comes to health, aren’t we are all entitled to expect advice based on proper science and not on questionable evidence?” added Sherratt.
When launching its salt reduction campaign, the FSA said the cost to the National Health Service of prescriptions for reducing high blood pressure is around £840m, nearly 15% of the total annual cost of all primary care drugs.
