Commission allows health claims for saltier bread

Bread with higher salt content can display health claims, following a European Commission (EC) decision to raise the proposed nutrient profile threshold for salt for a "limited period" pending further reductions.

EC commissioner for health Androulla Vassiliou announced that the threshold would be raised to allow a "stepwise salt reduction". She was speaking at a meeting on food labelling organised by the Food and Drink Federation last month in Brussels.

"Nutrient profiling should take account of salt reduction initiatives promoted at national and Community level, notably for bread, which is a major contributor of salt intake," said Vassiliou. "However, being aware of citizen sensitivities I am ready to propose a higher threshold for salt level in bread for a limited period allowing the stepwise salt reduction for claims on bread."

Vassiliou did not go into specifics on the levels of salt that would be allowed or the length of the transitional period. But UK bread industry representatives at the meeting considered the announcement to be significant.

Vassiliou dismissed press reports that the EC had any plans to ban bread high in salt. "The Commission is not banning any bread and has no intention of regulating the salt level in bread," she said. "What we are doing is setting the levels of salt which food products need to respect if they are to make a claim."

She added: "Let me emphasise, even after the transitional period covered, all types of bread can remain on the market." She also hinted that the EC might make further concessions in view of the financial crisis. "Against this background we need to be very careful in identifying the areas where costs could be cut without putting our safety levels at risk."