A new study that was published in Britain indicates that the salt intake of the Britishers has come down but it is still more than the desired level. Health experts opine that cardiac arrests and strokes can be prevented by reducing the level of salt intake.

According to the report, there is a decrease of salt consumption from 9.5g to 9g when it was last measured in 2001. Men have cut down their salt intake from 11g to 10.2g while in women it is reduced to 7.6g from 8.1g.

But the Food Standards Agency (FSA) cautions that the optimum level of salt is 6g per day and the current intake should further come down to this level. FSA is launching advertising campaigns which indicates that the processed food accounts for the 75%salt intake of people. It also advises people to check the salt content of the food like sandwiches, pasta sauces and pizzas before they eat them.

Dr Susan Pryde from Scotland's Food Standards, Diet and Nutrition branch of the FSA says that though there is a decrease in salt intake, there is still scope for improvement before reaching the optimum level. Dr. Pryde also said that FSA is working in tandem with the food industry to give healthier food to consumers as higher salt in food leads to higher BP, cardiovascular disorders and strokes.

But this campaign from FSA was not well received by the Salt Manufacturer's Association (SMA) who feels that a general approach on salt cutting may prove counter productive in few cases.