Systematic Review on International Salt Reduction Policy in Restaurants

Jingmin Ding, Yuewen Sun, Yuan Li, Jing He, Harriet Sinclair, Wenwen Du, Huijun Wang and Puhong Zhang
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Jingmin Ding: The George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100600, China
Yuewen Sun: The George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100600, China
Yuan Li: The George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100600, China
Jing He: The George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100600, China
Harriet Sinclair: School of International Studies, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA
Huijun Wang: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Beijing 100050, China
Puhong Zhang: The George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing 100600, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 24, 1-25

Abstract: As the catering sector has increasingly contributed to population-level salt intake, many countries have begun developing salt-reduction strategies for restaurants. This paper aims to provide an overview of global salt reduction policies in restaurants. Scientific papers and website materials were systematically searched from Web of Science, Science Direct, and PubMed, as well as official websites of government departments and organizations. A total of 78 full-text papers and grey literature works were included. From 58 countries and regions, 62 independent policies were identified, 27 of which were mandatory (3 with fines). The most common strategy was menu labeling, which was a component of 40 policies. Target setting ( n = 23) and reformulation ( n = 13) of dishes were also widely implemented. Other salt-reduction strategies included education campaign, chef training, toolkits delivery, table salt removal, media campaign, and government assistance such as free nutrition analysis and toolkits distribution. Most policies focused on chain restaurants. Evaluations of these policies were limited and showed inconsistent results, and more time is needed to demonstrate the clear long-term effects. Attention has been paid to salt reduction in restaurants around the world but is still at its early stage. The feasibility and effectiveness of the strategies need to be further explored.

Keywords: salt reduction; sodium; restaurant; policy; menu labelling; government initiative; behavior change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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