Researchers at The George Institute for Global Health reviewed data involving 227,000 people across the country and found that salt consumption far exceeds the World Health Organisation maximum target of just 5g per person each day.
With salt a major contributing factor to high blood pressure, the study highlights the need for urgent action to reduce salt consumption in India.
Lead author Claire Johnson said that the average Indian diet has transformed over the last three decades—though not in a positive way.
“They are eating less pulses, fruits and vegetables and lots more processed and fast foods,” she said. “As a result their diets are now full of salt, sugars and harmful fats which are driving up rates of high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.”
The study also found that:
- Average daily salt intake was 10.98g per day for Indians aged above 19, against the WHO recommendation of 5g
- Salt consumption was higher in the southern and eastern states of India
- Tripura topped the country with an average salt intake of around 14 grams, almost three times the WHO daily recommendation
- There was no difference in salt consumption between urban and rural areas. The results suggest that while urban populations eat less processed foods, they consume more salted and pickled products.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in India, leading to some 2.3m deaths each year—a quarter of which are attributed to high blood pressure. By 2030 the number of people suffering from high blood pressure in India is expected to nearly double to 213m.
“The scale of the crisis facing India is hard to contemplate. We are talking about millions of people dying each year due to unhealthy diets and lifestyles. We know that if you cut back on the amount of salt you eat, your risk of suffering from high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease greatly reduces,” said Johnson.
The George Institute has since called for a national salt reduction strategy to tackle the growing crisis, following the publication of the report.
Vivek Jha, the institute’s regional executive director, said India had to ramp up its efforts if it had any hope of meeting its WHO targets of a 30% reduction in salt consumption by 2025.
“We need a countrywide educational programme to teach people about eating and how to reduce the salt in their diet. It can be done but it needs investment and it needs to be made a priority given our rapidly rising levels of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure,” Prof. Jha said.
“We also need to work with the food industry, to encourage them to reduce salt levels in the highly processed foods many Indian people now eat daily. A huge problem is facing India but we can prevent millions of people dying if we act now.”
The George Institute is currently working with India’s Centre for Chronic Disease Control to develop the evidence for a national salt reduction programme.
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Crop-specific infrastructure announced to boost India’s sagging cold chain
The government will soon introduce a scheme to develop crop-specific infrastructure that is designed enable farmers to become entrepreneurs and start their own food-processing or cold-chain transportation businesses.
That’s according to Harsimrat Kaur Badal, India’s dynamic minister for food processing, who said she hoped that cold chain development would help double farmers’ incomes, reduce waste and strengthen supply chains.
India’s crumbling and under-invested supply chain desperately needs investment. Indeed, according to estimates by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, some 40% of fresh fruit and vegetables—worth an annual $8.3bn or so—perishes before reaching consumers.
Each year, the FAO believes, some 21m metric tonnes of wheat—almost equal to Australia’s total annual production—rots in India due to improper storage.
She said that with her long-cherished plan of foreign direct investment in place since June, an improved supply chain guided by international companies could link farm producers with retail outlets.
Moreover, the creation of farmer-led organisations for crop-specific clusters would lead to a more integrated supply chain across India, she said, adding that the CII, an industry representative body, had been tasked with creating a task force to link these organisations to manufacturers.
Meanwhile, Badal has also announced that all 42 state-sanctioned “mega food parks” would be operational within the next two years, and revealed plans to set up a further 500 cold chain projects to reduce post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables.
"Eight mega food parks have become operational and another four parks will be online in the next three to four months,” the minister said.
She added that this would help increase the amount of fruit and vegetable processing, which currently languishes at just 10 per cent.
A total of 138 integrated cold chain project have been sanctioned by the government, of which 91 are now operational.
International food companies have been showing keen interest in investing in the food processing sector after the government allowed 100% FDI in the marketing of food products manufactured and produced in India, she added.
Goa the go-to state for FSSAI’s community food safety programme
India’s food regulator has singled out Goa as a potentially model state for promoting food safety habits among consumers.
Pawan Agarwal, chief executive of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, said that the tiny western state’s small population would allow authorities to make headway in changing the food habits of its residents.
"Goa is already doing quite well in terms of health; it can also become a model for other states in food safety measures," said Agarwal.
The FSSAI has chosen Goa’s food and drugs administration to to pilot three food safety initiatives in the state.
“The initiative is planned to connect with citizens in multiple ways for creating food safety culture,” said Salim Veljee, director of the state FDA.
Under it, the FSSAI will provide in-house training to Goa FDA enforcement officials, who will collaborate with consumers and other agencies conduct state-wide programmes at homes and in schools and restaurants to promote a culture of safe and nutritious food consumption.
Backers of the initiative aim to provide every Goan household with a handbook on healthy diets and food safety. It will also provide a web-based platform were housewives can share their experiences online.
FSSAI-trained food safety supervisors will also inspect Goan restaurants for hygiene standards, giving each one a publicly visible food-safety rating.
Meanwhile, the state’s agriculture department has launched a scheme to encourage farmers to work with organic inputs in a bid to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
"This is the first step we have taken in the direction of organic farming in the state. Hopefully, more and more farmers should adopt the practice of organic farming after availing this scheme." said Goa’s agriculture head, Ulhas Pai Kakode.
Under the scheme, vermi-compost, mushroom waste and neem cake, as well as bio-fertilizers such as rhizobium, azotobacter and azospirillium, will be made available for farmers.
The state government will also offer assistance towards the cost of organic materials for farmers by giving subsidies of up to Rs20,000 (US$300) for two hectare per beneficiary.