Bakeries to cut salt in bread

Abu Dhabi bakeries will start cutting salt in bread next month at the instructions of health authorities within a plan to ensure healthier food for the public.

The Abu Dhabi Health Authority said it would cooperate with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and other government establishments to ensure all bakeries in the emirate will comply with the new rules as part of a two-year health plan.

“Reducing salt in bread is part of a plan to ensure healthier food for the public…as you know, bakeries are a major player in the food industry since bread is found in every home and it is the main component in many foods, including cake, Pizza, Croissant and others,” said Arwa Al Midwahi, director of the chronic diseases section at the Authority.

Quoted by Dubai-based Emarat Alyoum daily, she noted that salt is a major cause of hypertension, which is dubbed the “silent killer” as it causes heart attack.

“The problem is that if you have high blood pressure, you do not know unless you take your blood pressure…hence they call it the silent killer,” she said.