Despite a decline in consumption, the Directorate of Health contends that Icelanders are still eating too much salt.
The directorate reports that the daily intake of salt per person has decreased by 5% over the past ten years. At the same time, a survey conducted by the directorate shows that salt intake is still much higher than it should be.
On average, Icelandic men eat 9.5 grammes and women eat 6.5 grammes of salt each day. The recommended daily maximum is 7 grammes for men and 6 grammes for women. Only 13% of men and 36% of women actually follow these recommendations. In fact, the human body only needs 1.5 grammes of salt each day.
In addition, the majority of this salt does not come from table salt added by the consumer themselves. Rather, 75% of the daily intake comes from prepared food, mostly from meat, bread and cheeses.
The directorate recommends using salt sparingly in cooking and eating, and to read food labels carefully before purchase.
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