Salt of the Earth?

We all need some salt in the diet. Too much of this condiment, however, is a significant cause of high blood pressure. This, in turn, increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Salt is also much used by the Food Industry to increase the 'palitability' of processed and prepared foods. In 2006, the UK's Food Standards Agency initiated a compulsory salt reduction programme for the food manufacturers. This produced a marked reduction in the average daily salt intake, along with a reduction in heart attacks and strokes. In 2011, the government abandoned the programme to let the food producers again set their own salt levels (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/19/end-of-salt-reduction-drive-led-to-24000-premature-deaths-in-england-study). By 2018, the abandoning the salt reduction programme, had increased the average daily intake of salt by almost a full gramme. This is estimated to have resulted in circa 24,000 extra premature UK deaths. Leaving health considerations to the Food Industry has never worked. Companies will burble about the health-giving properties of their products but profits is the real name of their game. Getting folk to buy and eat more is how it's done.