ProgramsSalt Reduction Program
Less salt, starting with knowing where it comes from.
The Salt Reduction Program at NHFB aims to reduce population-level sodium intake in Bangladesh through evidence-based policy advocacy, community awareness, and multi-sectoral collaboration — targeting a significant reduction in hypertension and cardiovascular disease burden.
The program measures how much salt people eat and where it comes from, tests what helps consumers choose better, and takes the results to the bodies that set food policy.
- 9 g
- Salt an average Bangladeshi adult eats each day
- 5 g
- Daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization
- 7
- Studies on salt, sodium and food labels
- 11
- Peer-reviewed papers
01Why salt
A modifiable risk that sits in every kitchen
Excessive dietary salt intake is a major modifiable risk factor for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. In Bangladesh, average daily salt consumption significantly exceeds the WHO-recommended limit of 5 grams per day, contributing to a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Nearly all meals in Bangladesh are prepared at home, and salt goes into almost all of them. On top of that comes sodium from spice mixes and sauces added at the table, from pickles and dried fish, and increasingly from processed and ultra-processed foods, which most households now eat every week.
The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh (NHFB) has been at the forefront of salt reduction advocacy, working with government bodies, food industry stakeholders, and civil society to promote healthier dietary practices and establish regulatory frameworks for sodium reduction in processed foods.
Through a combination of community-level interventions, media campaigns, and policy engagement, the program seeks to create an enabling environment where reduced salt consumption becomes the norm across all socioeconomic groups in Bangladesh.
02What we have found
Five results from the department's own studies
Each figure below comes from a study designed and run by the department, with the full study page a click away.
97%
of households surveyed had eaten processed or ultra-processed foods in the past week. Soups, instant noodles and chutneys were among the highest in sodium per 100 g.
Assessment of Salt Content and Label Compliance in Processed Packaged Foods of Bangladesh40%
of packaged products under-reported their sodium content on the label, and 9% carried no sodium information at all. Many did not meet WHO sodium benchmarks.
Assessment of Salt Content and Label Compliance in Processed Packaged Foods of Bangladesh4%
of consumers regularly check nutrition information. Literacy and language stop low-income shoppers; time and technical jargon stop everyone else, and many distrust the numbers.
Utilization of Pack Label and Its Barriers in BangladeshWarning labels
were the most effective of four front-of-package label types at helping adults and adolescents spot high salt, sugar and saturated fat, and at reducing intention to buy. Multiple traffic lights came second.
Testing Front-of-Package Labels on Packaged Food for Adult & Adolescent Population in Bangladesh98%
of nutrition experts said salt is added in home cooking, where most meals are prepared. Spice mixes and sauces added after cooking, pickles and dried fish were the notable packaged sources.
Identification of Dietary Sources of Sodium in Bangladesh (Phase 1)
03Studies
Measuring, testing, and trialling
From expert surveys on where sodium comes from to a national randomised trial of front-of-package labels and a clinical trial of low-sodium salt among people with hypertension.
Ongoing2
Identification of Dietary Sources of Sodium in Bangladesh (Phase 2)
This cross-sectional study will identify the major sources of dietary sodium in Bangladeshi population, with their proportionate contribution, which will help policymakers in adopting necessary measures for the control of cardiovascular and other noncommunicable diseases reducing dietary salt intake in Bangladesh.
Read the studyThe Impact of Low-Sodium Salt Use on Serum Potassium Levels among Bangladeshi Hypertensive Patients
The objective of this study is to assess the incidence of hyperkalemia after low-sodium salt substitute (LSSS) use among patients taking anti-hypertensive medication and to compare the risk between those on RASi and non-RASi.
Read the study
Completed5
Assessment of Salt Content and Label Compliance in Processed Packaged Foods of Bangladesh
A countrywide cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults, adolescents, and children to identify commonly consumed processed/ultra-processed foods. Most common items were analyzed using Mohr's titration method to estimate sodium content.
Read the studyIdentification of Appropriate Front-of-Pack Warning Labels in Context of Bangladesh
10 focus group discussions with men and women in rural and urban Bangladesh (n = 76) were conducted to assess consumer perceptions of front-of-package labels including a color-coded GDA label and a warning label.
Read the studyIdentification of Dietary Sources of Sodium in Bangladesh (Phase 1)
As part of a multistep approach to rapidly assess dietary sodium sources in Bangladesh, this study sought expert insights into dietary sodium contributions from three major food sources: discretionary salt, packaged foods, and foods prepared outside the home.
Read the studyTesting Front-of-Package Labels on Packaged Food for Adult & Adolescent Population in Bangladesh
A national randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of four front-of-package labeling (FOPL) systems—Warning Labels (WL), Multiple Traffic Light (MTL), Health Star Rating (HSR), and Guideline Daily Allowance (GDA)—on consumer perceptions and purchase intentions in Bangladesh.
Read the studyUtilization of Pack Label and Its Barriers in Bangladesh
A mixed-methods study was conducted involving a nationwide household survey (n=974) assessing nutrition label checking practices and disparities, complemented by qualitative data from six FGDs and four KIIs.
Read the study
04Publications
Papers on salt, sodium and food labels
11 peer-reviewed papers, drawn from the department's publications database as they are added.
Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion in Bangladeshi Adults: Results from a Population-Based Survey with 24-Hour Urine Collections
doi: 10.5334/gh.1447
Sodium Content and Label Discrepancies in Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods in Bangladesh: A Public Health Concern
doi: 10.3390/foods14213587
Global overview of government-endorsed nutrition labeling policies of packaged foods: a document review
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1426639
Salt intake across the hypertension care cascade in the Bangladeshi adult population: a nationally representative cross-sectional study
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081913
Designing Front-of-Package Labels to Inform Consumers and Encourage Healthier Food Choices in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study
doi: 10.3390/nu16233989
Commonly consumed processed packaged foods in Bangladesh are unhealthy and their nutrient contents are not in conformity with the label declaration
doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3772
Salt Intake Estimation from Urine Samples in South Asian Population: Scoping Review
doi: 10.3390/nu15204358
Comparison of three spot urine formulae and their validation using 24-hour urine sodium for estimation of daily salt intake: a cross-sectional study among Bangladeshi adults
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061348
Dietary salt intake and its correlates among adults in a slum area in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.
doi: 10.18999/nagjms.83.3.589
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Dietary Salt Intake among Nurses Working in a Cardiac Hospital in Bangladesh Sciences
doi: 10.3329/cardio.v12i1.43420
Reliable Quantification of the Potential for Equations Based on Spot Urine Samples to Estimate Population Salt Intake: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
doi: 10.2196/resprot.6282
05People and partners
Who does this work
The department's sodium research is led from Dhaka and carried out with Resolve to Save Lives and academic collaborators, and the findings feed into WHO-guided national policy on salt and food labelling.
Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury
Professor & Head Department of Epidemiology and Research
Dr. Ummay Afroza (Tamanna)
Senior Program Officer
Partners
Resolve to Save Lives
Johns Hopkins University
World Health Organization
06Work with us
Help bring Bangladesh under the 5-gram line.
Food manufacturers, regulators, clinicians and researchers all have a part in reducing salt. If you would like to collaborate on measurement, labelling, reformulation or public awareness, write to the department.