Sara Lee commits to 20 per cent salt reduction

Posted by Editorial on 18th December 2009

The list of food manufacturers making sweeping commitments to reduce salt in their range of food products continues to grow, with Sara Lee this week announcing plans to reduce salt by an average of 20 per cent over the next five years. The reduction will be seen across its key categories of fresh bread, hot dogs, lunchmeat, breakfast foods and cooked sausage.

“This is in line with our broader wellness and nutrition strategy, which focuses on increasing the presence of positives, such as whole grains and lean protein. At the same time, we are reducing the amount of certain less desirable ingredients, such as trans fats and salt,” said CJ Fraleigh, executive vice president and CEO, Sara Lee North American Retail and Foodservice. “We are excited to respond to consumers’ requests for lower-salt options, and plan to continue to provide great-tasting Sara Lee foods that they have come to know and love, but now with less salt.”

The American-based firm said they would initially focus on the categories with the greatest salt reduction opportunities – fresh breads, hot dogs, lunchmeat, breakfast foods and cooked sausage.