Dr Luveni launches salt awareness campaign

For the first time ever to highlight the consequences of having a high salt intake, World Salt Awareness Week will be observed in Fiji starting from today.

Officially launching the Salt Awareness Campaign Dr Jiko Luveni said that a high salt diet leads to high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, kidney stones with foods like bread, margarine, canned foods high in sodium being common staple foods for many households in Fiji.

She added the Fiji National University is undertaking research to look at sodium levels in locally processed foods, assess dietary practices and sodium intakes to establish which foods are contributing significantly to sodium intakes.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Health is to work with the food manufacturing, retailers and service industries to reduce the sodium content of processed and package foods and proposing salt targets of specific food items that the food industries can work with for a period of three to five years.

World Salt Awareness Week ends on Sunday.


Story by: William Waqavakatoga