FROM PAGE 3

programme, said processed foods are a major source of excess salt intake. He warned that even when these foods don’t taste salty, they often contain high levels of salt.

This hidden salt intake is silently fuelling an epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly heart disease, he said, stressing the need for a comprehensive national salt reduction strategy.

Prof Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research at the foundation, said while salt enhances taste, excessive consumption becomes a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and other NCDs.

Mustak Hasan Md Iftekhar, founding chairman of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, highlighted the need for mandatory front-of-pack labelling and accurate nutrition information on packaging, alongside regular oversight by relevant authorities.

Prof Syed Zakir Hossain, line director of the NCD Programme at the Directorate General of Health Services, said the NCD Control Programme has already begun working on a national salt reduction strategy.

Prof Mohammad Shoeb, a member of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, noted that while current packaging laws require companies to disclose salt, sugar, and fat content, many either fail to comply or provide the information in unreadable formats.

To protect public health and improve awareness, he said the authority is revising labelling laws to introduce a user-friendly front-of-pack labelling system.