"Keeping children's salt consumption below the recommended maximum limits is vital. Research published last year showed that children who eat higher salt diets have higher blood pressure than children who eat less salt. It is also well established that blood pressure tracks into adulthood. That is, the higher the blood pressure in childhood, the higher the blood pressure in adulthood.

 

Anything that lowers blood pressure in childhood is likely to translate into lower levels of blood pressure in adult life, with reduced risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

 

And it's not just heart attacks and strokes that are caused by a high-salt diet. Too much salt is also linked with stomach cancer and osteoporosis and can aggravate symptoms of asthma.

 

With everything we know about the dangers of eating too much salt, parents need as much information as possible about how much salt is contained in the foods they give to children, and food manufacturers need to do as much as they can to reduce the amount of salt they add to foods that are eaten by children.

 

We know that a lot of work has been done by some companies to reduce salt in products eaten by children. We want to see all manufacturers doing everything they can to reduce salt they put in children's food. If they really cannot reduce the salt content in food eaten by children to reasonable levels, perhaps they should consider ceasing production?"

 

 

"Many parents know that their children should eat less salt than adults and we know that most parents do not add salt when they are cooking for their children. But they are still confused by labelling that does not clearly state the salt content for a realistic portion and they do not expect sweet foods such as cakes, muffins, puddings and breakfast cereals to contain high levels of salt.

 

We want to see clear front of pack labelling, including information on how much of a child's daily limit the food supplies, on all foods eaten by children. Many of the parents who took part in the Netmums survey were also confused about the relationship between salt and sodium, with less than half those surveyed knowing that 1g of sodium is equal to 2.5g of salt. 47.2% thought that sodium is the same as salt, so labels giving only sodium levels will lull these parents into a false sense of security as they try to find lower salt foods for their children. Parents deserve more support from manufacturers."

 

 

"This must be a red light moment for food manufacturers, let's get colour coded labels on food packs now. We know that high salt intake is linked to raised blood pressure and is a major risk factor for heart disease – the UK's biggest killer.

 

This research shows alarming levels of salt hidden in some foods. Shoppers' problems are compounded by confusing food labelling that can make it difficult to quickly choose lower salt options for their families at the supermarket.

 

We know that traffic light labelling is key to making food choices easier for shoppers. It would allow busy parents to tell at a glance whether food they select is low, medium or high in salt and help them make healthier food choices."