Overconsumption of salt is thought to be linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes, although some critics dispute this. Six grams of salt is a level teaspoonful, but measuring consumption of salt is not as simple as that because 65-85 per cent of the salt we eat is 'hidden' in ready-prepared foods, not added to home-cooked dishes while cooking or at the table. Bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, baked beans and ready-meals can be high in salt, alongside more obviously salty-tasting foods such as crisps, bacon, cheese and olives. In 2006 the Food Standards Agency published voluntary salt reduction targets for food manufacturers and retailers to reduce salt levels by 2010.
