A global health alert has renewed pressure on governments to step up efforts to reduce salt in diets, after new data showed that high sodium intake is still driving millions of preventable deaths linked to heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
The World Health Organization says most people worldwide continue to consume far more salt than recommended. In its latest report released during Salt Awareness Week 2026, the agency says average sodium intake is more than double the safe limit of 2,000 milligrams per day, roughly equal to one teaspoon of salt. It estimates that high salt diets contributed to 1.7 million deaths in 2023.
Alongside the report, WHO launched an updated “SHAKE the Salt Habit” guide to help countries strengthen policies aimed at cutting sodium levels in food.
The agency warns that progress remains slow, with the global target of reducing sodium intake by 30% by 2030 still far off track. It says only 28% of the world’s population lives in countries with mandatory rules to cut salt in processed foods.
Health officials say many people are exposed to high sodium levels without realizing it, due to heavy use of salt in processed foods, packaged meals, and some street foods.
“Excess salt consumption remains among the top preventable drivers of death globally, and implementing mandatory policies to reduce sodium intake is one of the most cost-effective actions countries can take to protect people from cardiovascular disease,” said Dr Luz Maria De Regil, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO.
She added that the updated package provides “practical, evidence-based tools to take decisive, government-led action and prevent millions of deaths each year”.
The revised SHAKE framework urges governments to move beyond voluntary measures and adopt enforceable rules to reduce sodium in food production.
It recommends reformulating foods, introducing front-of-pack labelling, restricting marketing of unhealthy foods to children, and taxing unhealthy products.
It also calls for stronger food standards in public institutions such as schools and hospitals, and supports the use of lower-sodium salt substitutes where suitable.
WHO says the new guidance places stronger emphasis on mandatory government action after limited progress under voluntary industry efforts.
It also warns against conflicts of interest, saying food companies should not influence public health policy decisions.
Xi Yin, Acting Lead for Nutrition and Food Safety at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, said some countries are already applying the SHAKE framework in national programmes.
“The second edition of SHAKE offers a practical menu of measures that countries can readily apply, with clear, step-by-step guidance, and strong opportunities to scale up mandatory approaches,” Xi Yin said.
WHO is now urging governments to adopt stronger policies and reshape food systems to reduce sodium intake and curb rising diet-related deaths.