11th Meeting of the WHO Action Network on Salt Reduction in the population in the European Region(ESAN). Meeting report (2019)

Bern , Switzerland, 7 -8 May 2019

To help facilitate progress towards the globally agreed target to cut salt intakes by 30% by 2025, the WHO Action Network on Salt Reduction in the Population in the European Region (ESAN) was established in 2007. The 11th ESAN meeting took place from 7-8 May 2019 in Bern, Switzerland, hosted by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office of Switzerland and co-organized by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The meeting welcomed 33 participants, including 20 representatives of 12 Member States, invited speakers and WHO staff.

The meeting heard about progress with national salt reduction strategies from five countries and discussed developments in methodology for monitoring food composition and progress towards targets. Participants also learned about some of the challenges and opportunities associated with sensory thresholds for consumer perception of salt and technical issues around food safety. New tools for data collection and implementation of salt reduction strategies were presented to support Member States in their efforts. In addition, representatives of non-governmental organizations working in salt reduction provided a summary of their work in the field.

It was agreed that ESAN and WHO would pursue further work on modelling of the health impact, in terms of years of life saved, of effective salt reduction strategies and on the development of understanding and approaches to reducing salt intakes from food eaten outside the home.