The salt content of everyday breads, such as baguettes, has decreased by 25% since 2015, thanks to a collective agreement signed with the bakery sector, including artisans, bakers, millers, and distributors, the Ministries of Health and Agriculture announced on Monday.
This slight improvement - compared to the decrease of "more than 20%" since 2015 observed after an initial assessment in July 2023 - results from the "significant efforts" of the sector since an agreement concluded in March 2022, they write in a joint press release, in view of a report from the Food Observatory.
Member states of the World Health Organization, including France, have committed to reducing salt consumption by 30% by 2025.
In detail, the salt content in France has fallen by 18% in wholemeal and cereal breads since 2009, and by 25% in everyday breads since 2015.
But while "more than 80% of everyday and traditional breads, as well as wholemeal and cereal breads, and 98% of sliced breads analyzed met the salt thresholds provided for by the agreement," "significant disparities between regions and distribution channels" were observed, the ministries noted.
This second assessment being the last under the terms of the agreement, the signatories "undertake to increase awareness among their members" so that all breads "respect the salt thresholds, regardless of the region and distribution channels."
Only professionals who sell sliced bread must continue their reduction efforts until 2025, to reach 1.1 g of salt/100 g of bread.
The National Food and Nutrition Program launched in 2019 has planned this collective action to gradually reduce salt - of which bread is one of the main contributors - for the French population.
Reducing salt consumption in France "is a major challenge" to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases linked to nutrition and the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and myocardial infarction, the Ministries of Health and Agriculture stated in their press release.
Limiting salt intake is one of the reflexes to adopt by those with heart failure, in addition to moving every day, weighing themselves regularly and adhering to their treatment, highlighted a recent health insurance campaign.
English 
French