Pilot Study to Reduce Added Salt on a University Canteen through the Use of an Innovative Dosage Equipment

Abstract

Background: This study aims to demonstrate the practical application of an innovative easy-to-use equipment to dosage cooking salt, and evaluate the effectiveness in reducing 30% of the added salt in meals and the impact on consumer’s satisfaction and food waste. Methods: Two canteens from one public university where randomized in one control arm and one intervention arm. The first step was to evaluate the salt added to food through atomic emission spectrophotometry in both canteens, and the second step was to perform gradual reductions of up to 30% of cooking salt in the intervention canteen using the Salt Control-C (SC-C) equipment. Consumer acceptability was assessed through satisfaction questionnaires and food waste was evaluated by weighing. Results: The intervention canteen achieved to a reduction of more than 30% of added salt in soup (−34.3% per 100 g), fish dish (−41.1% per 100 g) and meat dish (−48.0% per 100 g), except for the vegetarian dish (6.1% per 100 g). There was no decrease in consumer satisfaction, with a significant satisfaction increase of 15.7% (p = 0.044) regarding the flavor of the main dish. Also, no significant differences were found in food waste. Conclusions: SC-C seems to be effective in reducing 30% of added salt levels in canteen meals, and may be a good strategy to control and reach adequate levels of added salt in meals served outside-the-home, promoting benefits to the individual’s health.

Reducing Dietary Sodium and Improving Human Health 2.0

“…Further research focusing on the various strategies used to address this public health concern, as well as their evaluation on the regional and national levels, is needed, and several research gaps need to be filled [2], including the following areas: controlling the role of energy intake in moderating the effects of sodium intake in disease; the health effects of different molar ratios of sodium/potassium intake; the health effects of early exposure to different levels of sodium, including those in the prenatal environment, the first 8000 days of life, in aging, and in individuals with certain health conditions; the precise characterization of the level of sodium exposure capable of modifying the normal physiological response activating the renin-angiotensin system; the role of sodium intake in the pathogenesis of kidney disease in the general population; the individual characteristics (e.g., genetics) that may lead to different profiles of salty taste perception or to the expression of a particular "personal salt index" [25]; expanding the methods of assessing sodium intake, from new digital health tools (e.g., smartphone apps [30]) to devices and technologies for controlling salt addition in meal preparation at home or in catering [31][32][33]; behavioral change programs and modeling techniques for assessing the potential impact of interventions on salt intake and health outcomes; and the impacts of policy and legislative approaches for reducing salt consumption (e.g., mandatory or voluntary sodium limits on food products, labeling regulations, and taxation).…”