**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha regarding excessive salt consumption. The answer, dated February 6th, 2026, addresses the health crisis of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases related to salt intake, government initiatives to promote awareness, and measures to ensure the availability of Low Sodium Salt Substitutes (LSSS). A key recommendation from WHO in 2025 suggests reducing sodium intake to less than 2 gm/day.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Excessive Salt Consumption:**
* Excessive salt consumption contributes to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
* **Government Initiatives (Eat Right India Movement):**
* The Government of India, through FSSAI, is implementing the Eat Right India movement.
* Key activities include:
* Mass media campaigns ("Aaj Se Thoda Kam") to reduce salt, sugar, and fat intake.
* Development and dissemination of the Eat Right Toolkit for frontline health workers.
* **WHO Recommendations (2025):**
* To reduce blood pressure and CVD risk, reduce sodium intake to less than 2 gm/day (strong recommendation).
* Using less regular table salt is an important part of sodium reduction.
* WHO suggests replacing regular table salt with lower-sodium substitutes that contain potassium (conditional recommendation).
* This recommendation applies to adults (excluding pregnant women/children, individuals with kidney impairments, or conditions compromising potassium excretion).
**Impact Analysis**
**General Public**
* **Impact:** Increased awareness of the harmful effects of excessive salt consumption and strategies for reducing sodium intake.
* **Action Required:** Consider reducing sodium intake to less than 2 gm/day by using less regular table salt and, potentially, lower-sodium substitutes.
**Frontline Health Workers**
* **Impact:** Access to the Eat Right Toolkit to counsel communities on limiting high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods.
* **Action Required:** Use the Eat Right Toolkit to educate communities on healthy eating practices and the importance of reducing sodium intake.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Primary ministry responding to the question about excessive salt consumption.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): Implementing the Eat Right India movement to promote healthy eating practices and awareness about harmful effects of salt consumption.
Eat Right India: Movement implemented by FSSAI to promote healthy eating practices and awareness about salt consumption.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR): Identified as the source of information that excessive salt consumption contributes to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
Low Sodium Salt Substitutes (LSSS): Potential solution to combat hypertension and CVD by reducing sodium intake.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1301
TO BE ANSWERED ON 6TH FEBRUARY, 2026
EXCESSIVE SALTCONSUMPTION
1301. SHRIVIJAYKUMAR HANSDAK:
Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate:
(a) whether excessive salt consumption has emerged as a critical health crisis in the country,
primarily driving a “silent pandemic” of hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases and if so,
the detailsthereof;
(b) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to promote public awareness of
the adverse healtheffects of excessive salt intake;
(c) whether it is a fact that consumption of Low Sodium Salt Substitutes (LSSS) can go a
long way in combating this “silent pandemic” of hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease
(CVD) andif so, the detailsthereof; and
(d) the measures taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure the availability,
accessibility andaffordability of LowSodiumSalt Substitutes(LSSS)for the generalpublic?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a):As per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), excessive salt consumption is a
contributortothe growing burdenof hypertension andcardiovasculardiseases.
(b) The Government of India, through the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI), is implementing the Eat Right India movement to promote healthy eating practices
andawareness aboutthe harmful effectsof excessive salt consumption.Under thismovement,
keyactivitiesinclude:
Mass media and social media campaigns such as “Aaj Se Thoda Kam” to encourage
gradualreductioninsalt, sugar andfat intake indailydiet.
Development and dissemination of the Eat Right Toolkit for frontline health workers
tocounsel communitieson limiting highfat,sugar andsalt (HFSS)foods.
(c) & (d) Based ona reviewof the available evidence oneffects andsafety, and consideration
of additionalcontextual factors, WHO in2025 recommended:
To reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, it is recommended
toreduce sodium intake to less than2gm/day(strong recommendation). In this context, using less regular table salt is an important part of an overall sodium
reduction strategy. If choosing to use table salt, WHO suggestsreplacing regular table
salt with lower-sodium substitutes that contain potassium (conditional
recommendation). This recommendation is intended for adults (not pregnant women
or children) in general populations, excluding individuals with kidney impairments or
with othercircumstancesor conditions thatmightcompromise potassium excretion.
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