Sodium content of foods sold in the Czech market

Salt (sodium chloride) is one of the main sources of sodium in a diet. However, high salt intake (9-12 g/day) is considered a serious health problem. In response to the urgent need for reduction in sodium intake, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated a global movement for reducing salt intake to less than 5 g/day by 2025. This study focuses on the current salt (sodium) contents in selected foods on the Czech market. For market research, we chose foods with high salt contents. Products with high salt contents from 20 stores of seven food retail chains and three online shops operating in the Czech Republic were selected. 1047 products, including 163 breads (G1), 111 olives (G2), 365 cheeses (G3), 94 ketchups (G4), 92 chips (G5) and 222 hams (G6), were investigated. Large proportions of the products on the market in the Czech Republic exceeded the salt content limits recommended by the WHO, specifically 71.8% breads, 83.3% semi-hard and processed cheeses, and 91% hams. The results were statistically analyzed and compared with other European studies.