Charlton House's salt-cutting exercise is a success
Staff caterer Charlton House says it cut salt use by 25% among participating restaurants during 2012 Salt Awareness Week, at the end of March.
The B&I specialist, part of CH&Co, said last year that it had removed 602kg of salt from workplace meals as part of the firm's salt reduction programme for the Department of Health's Public Health Responsibility Deal.
Charlton House, which serves around 40,000 people in the workplace daily, encouraged its chefs to replace salt cellars on dining tables and sachets at self-service locations with alternative seasonings.
They also created displays to help communicate the recommended 6g daily salt target and introduced low salt versions of products such as baked beans and bouillon.
Last year 125 chefs were given salt reduction training by Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.
Katharine Jenner, campaign director of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), said it was fantastic to see a large company like Charlton House stepping up to salt reduction, adding: "For every 1 gram reduction in the nation's salt intake we can prevent 6,000 people dying prematurely from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure."
Charlton House chief executive Caroline Fry also commented: "This proves that our commitment to salt reduction is no flash in the pan - or should I say grind of the mill!
"We are educating customers about healthy eating in an interesting, enjoyable way and to helping people make informed healthy eating choices."
By Janie Manzoori-Stamford
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