US food group Heinz is to cut the level of salt in its core ketchup line by 15% from the summer, the company has announced.
The move is the latest in a line of similar initiatives by food manufacturers amid claims that high salt intake is linked to cardiovascular disease.
“As the largest producer of ketchup in the US, Heinz is dedicated to meeting the growing consumer demand for better-for-you products, particularly with lower sodium,” said Idamarie Laquatra, Heinz’s director of global nutrition.
Heinz sells a range of ketchup lines, including no salt-added and reduced-sugar versions. The company announced yesterday (4 February) that it had introduced Simply Heinz Tomato Ketchup, a product made with sugar instead of high fructose corn sweetener.