Stakeholder Collaboration The Example from Switzerland · Swiss Salt Strategy Joint Workshop on strategies to reduce salt or other selected nutrients in processed foods Food Safety

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHAFederal Office of Public Health FOPH

Consumer Protection Directorate

Stakeholder Collaboration

The Example from Switzerland

Joint Workshop on strategies to reduce salt or other selected nutrients in processed foods

Dr. Michael Beer

Food Safety Division, Federal Office of Public HealthBern, Switzerland



Dietary salt intake in Switzerland


Food Safety Division, Michael Beer - Feb 08 / 2013

S BEER-BORST, MC COSTANZA, A PECHÈRE-BERTSCHI, A MORABIA. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009











Swiss Salt Strategy



S BEER-BORST, MC COSTANZA, A PECHÈRE-BERTSCHI, A MORABIA. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009

Longterm

2012+



Main Objective

• Creation of an enabling environment for reduction of sodium intake on a population level

Swiss Salt Strategy



• Collaborating with the food and food service industry to reduce salt levels in processed foods and in the catering sector, whilst assuring quality and safety



Main Objective

• The reduction in salt consumption takes place gradually in feasible steps.

Swiss Salt Strategy



• Over the period from 2008 to 2012 a total reduction of 16% will be attempted, to reach less than 8 g per person per day.

• In the longer term, the average amount of salt consumed by the Swiss population should correspond to the WHO recommendations of less than 5 g per day.



ReducedSalt Intake

Public Awareness

Nat. & Intern. Cooperation

Product Reformulation

Monitoring & Evaluation

Data & Research



8

National Programme on Diet & Physical Activity

Public Awareness

Nat. & Intern. Cooperation

Product Reformulation

Monitoring & Evaluation

Data & Research



Objectives 1&5: Data & Research

Swiss salt survey 2011 (24h urine)

Mean urinary NaCl excretion (g/24h)

Linguistic Region Men Women Total CH

French (n=411) 10.3 7.2 8.7



German (n=820) 10.7 8.1 9.4

Italian (n=216) 10.4 7.6 8.9

Total (n=1447) 10.5 7.8 9.1

� Salt consumption in men is significantly higher than in women

� The age-, sex-, and BMI-adjusted mean urinary salt excretion in the German-speaking region was higher than in the French-speaking but similar to the Italian-speaking region

CHAPPUIS A, BOCHUD M, GLATZ N, VUISTINER P, PACCAUD F, BURNIER M. Swiss survey on salt intake: main results. Lausanne: CHUV, 2011



Objective 2: Raising public awareness

• Large scale public campaign � € 4’000’000

• Work with “experts” in medicine, care, education (teacher, chefs), food industry � provide information

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� working groups to develop consensus document

� use experts, e.g. general practitioner,as mediators to inform population

� raise awareness of stakeholders, e.g. chefs & foodindustry, about their possibilities to contribute

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Objective 3: Product reformulations

Project 1: Reduction of salt concentration inprocessed foods

� Develop category target values for bread,



� Develop category target values for bread, sausages, ham, RTE salads, RTE potato based products, RTE pasta, RTE risotto, soups, cheese

Project 2: Salt in communal catering (CC) -Measures to reduce intake



Reduction of salt concentration in

processed foods

Food category Target value Area of application

Bread & Baked Goods 20 g/kg flour all types of bread &baked goods

Meat Products 17 g/kg meat boiled sausages, ham, etc.

Cheese & Cheese Productsno target values: seeprocedures

all types of cheese and cheese products

Potato Salad 1.0%all other ready-to-eat salads



Potato Salad 1.0%(excluding aforementioned)

Duchesse Potatoes 1.0%potato products such as potato croquettes and similar products

Rösti 0.8%all ready-to-eat types of rösti and derived specialties (e.g. rösti croquettes, rösti galettes)

Egg Spätzle, Egg Ravioli, Pasta Carbonara

1.0%all ready-to-eat types of pasta (with and without sauce, stuffed and unstuffed)

Risotto 0.8% all ready-to-eat types of risotto

Soups 0.9% all ready-to-eat soups



How to collaborate with the industry?

• Project lead at a University

• Federal Office as “supervisor” but not directly involved



involved

• Power to regulate stays with Federal Office

• Involve food industry� tests done in collaboration




• Show that things work � sensory evaluation



� reduction of 10% was not detectable in any ofthe tested food categories




• Allow possibility for “marketing”� Voluntary agreements in the framework ofactionsanté



• offers a better image � company shows responsibility

• is a quality label & can be used for communication (but not on the product)

• website, annual conference, press releases

• …



Excursus: Trans-fatty acids (TFA)

Margarine

TFAin %

(of total fat)



• 2004 Start discussions with food industry to reduceTFA levels in all foods on a voluntary base

Average Maximum

Year

TFA

(of total fat)




• 2004 to2006

• 2007 Monitoring study shows high TFA levels in foods

No noticeable action of food industry






• 2007 � Discussions continued – some action- Self-responsibility of consumer � labelling- competitive disadvantage- products no longer available or tasty- costs for reformulation, etc.



• 03/2007 Federal Office of Public Health announces introductionof regulation




• 04/2008 max. TFA level regulated at 2g/100g

• 2009 Still all products on the marketFood industry happy� same & clear rules for all

• 2011 � Monitoring study � all products comply with regulation



• 2011 � Monitoring study � all products comply with regulation

174

338

< limit of quantification < max. level of 2%

> max. level of 2%

• Products with high levels of butter• Highest level was 2.3%



Perspectives : Salt Strategy 2013 – 2016

• The National Programme on Diet & Physical Activity will be continued until 2016

• The Salt Strategy was updated• less than 8 g per person per day



• less than 8 g per person per day• voluntary commitments

� comply with set target levels� provide more details on market share� involve more sectors (not only bread and meat)

• Focus on “healthy” food composition� Salt Strategy will one important part of an overall Product Reformulation Strategy (sugars, fat)









Documents

Stakeholder Collaboration The Example from Switzerland · Swiss Salt Strategy Joint Workshop on strategies to reduce salt or other selected nutrients in processed foods Food Safety