Measures to reduce sodium consumption may include salt tax
The Public Health Ministry on Monday outlined policies, strategies and measures to reduce consumption of salt and sodium by 30% for better health among Thai people.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin announced this after presiding over the meeting of a national policy committee for reduction of salt and sodium consumption to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
He said the government and Public Health Ministry were paying attention to NCDs triggered by inappropriate consumption, especially of too much salt and sodium.
According to a survey in 2009, each Thai consumed up to 4,351.69 milligrams of sodium daily, higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of not exceeding 2,000 milligrams daily, he pointed out.
He noted that more than 22 million Thais have suffered from illnesses related to sodium consumption, such as hypertension and kidney, heart and cerebrovascular diseases.
The Public Health Ministry will promote policies, strategies and measures to reduce consumption of salt and sodium in foods by 30%, provide salt meters for village health volunteers to boost awareness among households, set up a ceiling for salt and sodium in ready-to-eat meals, and promote financial measures such as a sodium tax, he said.
Asked whether a sodium tax would yield tangible results, Somsak said a joint committee with the Excise Department has been set up to consider criteria for such a tax. Though annual revenue from the tax would not be high, this measure could enable people to cope with illness and save treatment costs, he said.
He confirmed that the ministry has a policy to reduce the number of NCD patients, saying that their treatment expenses accounted for 52% of the National Health Security Fund’s budget.
Meanwhile, Department of Disease Control director general Panumas Yanwetsakul said the department has been appointed to prepare a strategy for reducing consumption of salt and sodium, covering five objectives:
- Stakeholder network: Build, develop and expand a network to monitor and reduce salt and sodium consumption nationwide.
- Awareness: Boost awareness among people, communities, entrepreneurs and policymakers both offline and online, such as offering healthy foods, launching a sodium tax and setting up a ceiling for sodium consumption.
- Legislation and environmental reform: Promote daily-amount guidelines and health-care choices to encourage entrepreneurs to lower sodium during production.
- Technology and innovation: Promote research on recipe adjustment.
- Surveillance, monitoring and evaluation: Develop a Thai Salt Survey application and salt meters for screening sodium in foods nationwide.
