Chippies should cut the number of holes in saltshakers to improve nation’s health

The salt and vinegar lashing is arguably what makes fish and chips Britain’s favorite national dish.

But public health experts suggest chippies should lead the way in making takeaways healthier – by reducing the number of holes in salt shakers.

Making small changes – such as smaller portions – could help reduce the country’s bulging waistlines, a House of Lords committee heard.

Amelia Lake, a professor of Public Health Nutrition at Teesside University, said trials have proved popular, with most people not even noticing the salt reduction.

She said: ‘We need to think about what we are doing. These businesses are everywhere and most of the time they are run by local people and it is a local business.

‘The businesses are there and people like a takeaway.

“But will they notice how many holes there are in the salt shaker? I do every time I go in, but other people don’t.”

Speaking to the Food, Diet and Obesity Committee, she said takeaways were ingrained in society and important to local communities.

As a result, reducing the negative effects on health was about ‘working with what you’ve got’, adding that companies were not opposed to changing behaviour.

Asked what initiatives have been successful, she added: ‘We worked with people who provided the packaging and we worked with them to provide a lighter bite box for fish and chips, it reduced the calories and it could many people suffer.

‘We looked at the number of holes in the salt shaker. Significantly changing the number of holes significantly reduced the salt.’

Salt is a known cause of high blood pressure, which is responsible for thousands suffering or dying from a heart attack or stroke each year.

A program to reduce salt in the nation’s diet saw the amount consumed fall by almost 20 percent, but this has crept back up since it became effectively voluntary.

Andrew Crook, chairman of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said the public is in love with salt and many traditional chippies are trying in vain to reduce consumption.

He said: ‘We don’t add salt unless customers want it and we get people saying ‘can I have a bit more’ if you try to reduce it.

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“I have salt shakers in my shop with six holes, whereas they used to have 10 or 12, but you tend to find people just stand there longer.”

Staff are trained not to add to children’s meals and only put it on adults’ portions when asked, he said.

‘For us, it’s about giving consumers the choice and it’s up to the government to educate them about why it’s bad for them, rather than saying ‘no, you can’t have it’.

This is not the time when British fish and chips have been the target of a public health effort.

In 2010, the Food Standards Agency encouraged deep fryers to use larger, thicker chips because they absorb less fat.

Sonia Pombo, from Action on Salt, said small reductions go a long way to reducing blood pressure.

She said: ‘This just goes to show how easy it can be to lower your salt while still enjoying your fish and chips.

‘There’s no reason why initiatives like this shouldn’t also be rolled out to the rest of the hospitality sector, not just with salt shakers for customers, but for chefs in kitchens who are notorious for over-salting food.’