An initiative to urge people to reduce the amount of salt they put on their meals is being rolled out in Stone.
Condiments in a number of independent eating out places in the town will now be surrounded by a ‘table talker’ which gives information about the effects of too much salt in your diet. Salt is a major contributor to high blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke which costs the health service many millions of pounds every year to deal with. And around 25% of our salt intake is added during cooking or to meals at the dinner table.
The latest scheme follows a successful initiative with Stafford Borough Council working with local chippies in the area to replace their salt shakers with one which has fewer holes – reducing the amount that is poured on to takeaway food.
Now the four-sided, plastic educational table talkers will house the salt and other condiments on tables in around 30 restaurants and cafes in Stone. Advice includes the daily maximum amount of salt for different age groups as well as tips on what to look for on food packaging.
As part of the scheme posters with information on the dangers of a high salt diet will be given to the outlets to help educate staff.
Councillor Frank Finlay, Cabinet Member for Environment and Health, said: “Health and wellbeing of our community is one of this council’s top priorities. So I am pleased so many eating out places are working with us to help reduce the amount of salt their customers consume. And these table talkers are a very effective way of giving people information about salt and their diet as they can read this valuable advice while waiting for their meal.”
All businesses taking part in the scheme will be publicised on the borough council website www.staffordbc.gov.uk. If businesses would like to use the table talkers then contact hgray@staffordbc.gov.uk or 01785 619 402.
