A survey of consumer awareness of salt in food and reported purchasing activity towards low salt foods

A MARKET research study of 160 adult respondents of both sexes subdivided into under-25 and over-25- year-old age groups was undertaken in Nottingham between January and April 1992. The aims of the study were to determine whether consumers per ceived salt in food as a health problem, their knowl edge of the salt content of selected foods, and whether they reported changes in purchasing ac tivity towards low salt food products. A high pro portion of respondents in this survey (83.8 per cent) believed salt to be detrimental to health but overall there was a poor level of knowledge of the salt con tent of a range of foods. Eighty-five per cent of re spondents had purchased reduced salt food products and 64.6 per cent of these had become regular users. Product development of actively promoted reduced salt foods offers potential, provided palatability and food safety problems are overcome.