THE average Australian eats far too much salt - almost double the recommended maximum, the latest Grattan Institute report, Sneaky salt: How Australia can shake its salt habit, has revealed.
Each year, more than 2,500 Australians die from illnesses caused by high salt intake.
The report calls on the Federal and State Governments to double the number of food types covered by salt limits and make some limits mandatory because there has been no progress in reducing salt intake under Australia's voluntary scheme.
Further, the report's authors said that the salt content must be measured for foods sold in bakeries and fast-food restaurants, to pave the way for salt limits there.
The authors urge investigating the feasibility of requiring the enrichment of salt with potassium, starting with bread and table salt, as "potassium enrichment makes salt healthier without changing its taste".
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