Riduzione sale consumer ing 2012 03 05

REDUCE SALT TO “GAIN” HEALTH A shared commitment, without the need for sacrifices

REDUCE SALT TO “GAIN” HEALTH A shared commitment, without the need for sacrifices

Mediterranean Diet Pyramid A contemporary approach to delicious, healthy eating

(Barilla adaptation from Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust)

FOOD AND NUTRITION: A STORY OF COMMITMENT AND PASSION

For over 130 years, Barilla has been the Italian family company that has seen food as a communal event, filled with flavour and love, helping people live better.

Barilla is the company that helps to safeguard and improve people’s wellbeing and health: • by transforming high quality nutritious ingredients into tasty, healthy foods that satisfy the daily nutritional needs of the whole family; • by developing its own products that respect the Mediterranean Nutritional Model and the environment.

We genuinely believe that this twofold goal of protecting people’s health and the environment is achievable: the Mediterranean Nutritional Model is the fundamental benchmark for promoting the right, healthy eating habits, and the foods that are the basis for this Model are also the ones that have the least impact on the environment.

Barilla’s commitment is expressed in the way it shares the culture of the Mediterranean Nutritional Model, as a positive, contemporary model for choosing to eat foods that are good for us and the world in which we live.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO REDUCE YOUR SALT INTAKE

Moderating your daily intake of salt has a positive influence on the health of your heart and your circulation

We all need some salt. We have used it for centuries to preserve and flavour foods and it is the body’s main source of sodium*, an essential element for life, but not one that should be eaten in excess.

The sources of sodium in food, as shown in figure 1, are: processed foods, as well as those eaten outside the home; the salt added by cooks in their own kitchen or at the table; natural foods (fruit, vegetables, meat etc).

Figure 1 - Sources of salt consumed every day (Europe and North America): 4 77% from processed or restaurant foods 13% added in the kitchen or at the table 10% present naturally in foods

SALT: DO WE EAT TOO MUCH? According to statistics, both in the USA and in Europe, 1,2,3 salt intake is too high, at levels of up to (and in some cases over) 9-10 grams a day.3 We should be eating a total of one teaspoon of salt a day (including the salt naturally contained in food) and yet our daily average reaches and sometimes exceeds 10g a day (1 heaped tablespoon). *Salt is 60% chlorine and 40% sodium

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How much salt is there in the foods we eat?

(Taken from INRAN. Food composition tables) 5

Food

Amount of sodium (mg/100g for example)

Dry-cured ham

2.238

Pecorino cheese

1.800

Tomato ketchup

1.120

Potato chips in a bag

1.070

Uncooked frankfurter

793

Tomato pizza

775

Rye bread

580

White rolls

460

Emmental cheese

450

Beans - Cannellini in a tin, drained

431

Croissants

390

Tuna, in oil, drained

316

Whole eggs

137

Fresh salmon

98

Mixed frozen vegetables: peas, corn, carrots, beans

59

Whole milk yoghurt

48

Salad tomatoes

3

Bananas

1

Fresh apples

trace

WHY TOO MUCH SALT IS DANGEROUS? Too much sodium in the body can be dangerous: because of its effect on blood pressure; because of the impact on health caused by cardiovascular diseases; for the potential effects on stomach cancer.6 In contrast, reducing salt intake has a documented positive effect on blood pressure, and consequently on the health of our heart, arteries and brain. Even a modest reduction in the daily intake of sodium can bring with it a positive impact on people’s health and major benefits in terms of healthcare costs. 7 Scientific studies spanning more than forty years with approximately 177.000 people from different countries show that five grams less salt a day results in a relative reduction in the risk of a heart attack by -17%, or a stroke by -23%.8 Figure 2 - Estimated effects of reducing salt by

-23%

risk of a stroke ris -5 g salt/day

-17%

risk of a heart ri attack

Calculated by Strazzullo et al. 2009

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THE “GAINING HEALTH” PROGRAMME

Reducing salt in foods: a strategic objective around the world

Since 2009, the EU has made recommendations, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, for reducing salt in foods. Europe has demonstrated its commitment to these recommendations with its “National Salt Reduction Initiative”.

Among other recommendations, the initiative encourages the primary manufacturers and food

processing industry to gradually reduce the level of salt added to products. 9 The majority of sodium intake from food is not from adding salt when cooking or at the table, but rather from industrially manufactured food and food that we eat outside the home, as shown in figure 1. 4 In countries like Italy and America, bread and pizza (as well as meat and cheese) are consumed in very high quantities. So reducing the amount of salt used when preparing foods, such as bread for example, can make a valuable contribution to our health and wellbeing, without forcing us to make excessive sacrifices.

Five critical years for health 2006

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a reduction in daily salt intake given its impact on health.3

2007

The European Union adds a similar recommendation in its white paper, “A Strategy on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related health issues”.2

2008

In the USA, the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) is launched, based on the British model, in response to the continued excessive consumption of salt.3

2009

Europe too adopts the “National Salt Reduction Initiative”, aimed at continuing initiatives intended to reduce salt intake, with a particular focus on 12 food categories including bread.2

2010

The Council of Europe officially recommends the pursuit of this goal.10 The Italian Ministry of Health launches the “Guadagnare salute - Rendere facili le scelte salutari” (Gaining health - Making healthy choices easy) programme.9

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BARILLA’S COMMITMENT

Focusing on over 100 products, the Company has reduced the salt in our product portfolio by 11% by the end of 2011, and work is continuing

BARILLA IS SIGNED UP TO THE “GAINING HEALTH” PROGRAMME Alongside its commitment to adopting the Mediterranean Model as a cultural and nutritional point of reference, Barilla has also established its own Nutrition guidelines for the development of new products. These include limits for salt, fat, fibre and sugar content, inspired by international guidelines and also backed up by scientific 9

Barilla’s strategy to reduce salt in its products • Reduce salt gradually to help people get used to the taste; • Rebalance the aromatic profiles of products; • Use different proportions of the key ingredients.

research. As far as salt is concerned, Barilla’s participation in the “Gaining Health” programme has helped it achieve a significant reduction in the salt content of some categories of its food products marketed in Europe and America, all in a very short time.

In particular, by the end of 2011, working on more

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than 100 products, the company has removed over 600 tons of salt overall (equivalent to 11% of the salt used by the company), mainly in breads, crackers and prepared sauces. A large proportion of the products in these categories did not need adjustments, as they already had low salt levels.

From 2011, less salt for our consumers: Product groups

Average salt reduction in reformulated products (considerable variations from product to product)

Barilla Filled pasta

- 23%

Barilla tomato-based sauces

- 23%

Mulino Bianco and Pavesi dry bread substitutes

- 20%

Wasa crispbread

- 19%

Mulino Bianco Soft bread

- 17%

Harry’s Soft bread

- 13%

For more information contact: www.barillagroup.com

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HOW TO CUT DOWN ON SALT WITHOUT MAKING UNNECESSARY SACRIFICES

Reduce or moderate salt intake is our own responsibility: it is not as difficult as it may seem

As well as the salt reduction achieved by Barilla and the Salt Reduction Initiatives campaigns, every one of us is personally responsible for our own health. Reducing the amount of salt in our diet is not as difficult as it might sound.

A FEW HANDY COOKING TIPS Add some chopped herbs in lemon juice (or vinegar) to marinate food before you roast it Add some chilli peppers when cooking to enhance the flavour of pasta or sautéed vegetables Add handful of carrots, celery and onion in water when boiling food Add dusting of nutmeg for potatoes or cauliflower Add sage, bay, juniper berries and garlic for roasts

Ten simple suggestions for cutting down on salt (elaboration from the National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition-Italy):5

1 23 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Both at the table and in the kitchen, gradually reduce the amount of salt you add to food Avoid putting a salt shaker on the table and reduce the amount of salt used in cooking and for seasoning Do not add salt to baby food, at least for the whole of your child’s first year. Reduce the use of alternative seasonings that contain sodium Remember that salt enhances flavours and it can be an essential ingredient in cooking, but some foods don’t need salt to taste good Use raw or frozen rather than canned vegetables Reduce your consumption of foods with a high salt content, and get used to choosing less salty alternatives, by reading the nutritional information on products Even when you’re in a restaurant, choose dishes that are not too salty Use spices, herbs, lemon juice and vinegar to “trick” your palate Only drink water to replenish the liquids lost during physical activity Follow the Mediterranean model as closely as possible by eating fresh foods that have been processed as little as possible and are naturally low in salt.

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REFERENCES AND SOURCES

1. Bernstein AM, Willett WC. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;92(5):1172-80.

2. UE - European Commission Public Health. National Salt Initiatives. June 2009.

3. WHO - World Health Organization. Creating an enabling environment for population-based salt reduction strategies. July 2010.

4. Brown IJ, Tzoulaki I, Candeias V, Elliott P. Int J Epidemiol 2009;38(3):791-813.

5. INRAN. Tabelle di composizione degli alimenti. http://www.inran.it/646/tabelle_di_composizione_degli_alimenti.html 6. World Health Organization. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation.

WHO Technical Report Series, No. 916. Geneva World Health Organization 2003.

7. Bibbins-Domingo K, Chertow GM, Coxson PG et al. N Engl J Med 2010;362(7):519.

8. Strazzullo P, D’Elia L, Kandala N - B, Cappuccio FP. BMJ 2009;339:b4567.

9. Ministero per la Salute. Poco sale per… guadagnare salute. http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_605_allegato.pdf 10. Heart Wire. Réduction du sel alimentaire: les Européens passent aux actes. The Heart.org 2010. http://www.theheart.org/article/1107511.doc

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