Draft Law No. 624 /X

" Establishes standards with a view to reducing the salt content in bread as well as

information in the labelling of packaged food intended for consumption

human "

Exhibition of reasons

Portugal currently has one of the highest death rates per

vascular cerebral accident (AVC) of Europe, which is about double the

observed in Spain and about triple the verified in France.

Adding that there is evidence that excessive salt intake may cause

direct injuries in the cardiovascular system and also in other organs,

also associating themselves with this fact to the increase in the risk of accidents

cardiovascular and global mortality.

Excess consumption of salt in food is provably associated

to the increased risk of development and aggravation of hypertension

arterial, to which is identified by the scientific community as the main

modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, with this being considered a

public health problem.

Excessive consumption of salt is probably one of the factors with greater

responsibility in increasing the incidence of these diseases, being a source of

concern in the medical and scientific community. The Portuguese

have grown accustomed to their palate at a high salt content in food,

contributing so that the maximum daily dose recommended by the Organization

World of Health (5.8 grams of salt / day), be largely outdated.

In our country arterial hypertension constitutes a serious health problem

public, not only by the statistical data compared, in terms of

incidence and prevalence, as by the high percentage of patients

medicated, but not controlled, and still by the pathological consequences

in the target bodies, triggers of the major cardio-vascular events,

by the reduction of life expectancy of patients as well as by the high

financial costs and losses in health for the country.

A recent study developed by the Faculty of Health Sciences of the

Fernando Pessoa University, when assessing the daily intake levels of

salt, and its relation to blood pressure levels and arterial stiffness,

in a significant sample of adults, concluded that the daily saline intake

in our country will walk by double what is recommended by the Organization

World of Health.

Other recent studies about salt and its consumption reveal that,

being this one of the most widely used ingredients in the food industry, the

reduction of saline intake constitutes a healthy measure for the majority

of the affected population that, without undermining food security,

contributes in a relevant way to the significant reduction in accidents

cardiovascular, from AVCs and morbidity and mortality to them

associated.

A study conducted in England by the Food Standards Agency,

demonstrated that in that country, where the consumption of salt is lower than our own,

by lowering 1 gram of salt in the daily consumption of the English citizens,

could save themselves seven thousand lives a year. Extrapolating to Portugal,

even not considering the level of saline intake well higher, and

therefore, theoretically, with a larger gain margin, the reduction of the

daily salt intake in the Portuguese population could allow to save 2560

lives a year. (estimates of the Portuguese Society of Hypertension)

The work of sensitization and education for health inducing habits

healthier, in what concerne to the salt content in food, has been coming to

be done in schools, in health establishments, in communication

social, in the food industry, in the general population, whose results if

intend to come to influence decisively on food behaviour

individual citizens, not least when carrying out the confection

domestic or commercial of food, or when you make the option

gastronomic in restoration environment.

The packaged bread and food, unlike the confected foods

and consumed on the hour, are manufactured in industrial production regime,

cause by which we seem to be appropriate to intervene legislatively, by doing

focus on some regulation on your saline contents.

The latest data reveals that bread constitutes one of the major

sources of saline ingestion. National bread has, on average, much more salt

that the bread of the remaining European countries, and presents a large

variability in saline content, dependent on the type of bread and the region where it is

manufactured. The Portuguese bread, of greater consumption, the so-called "normal" bread,

has between 18-21 grams of salt per kilo, while the "wholemeal bread" is

manufactured with an average of 15 grams. In comparative terms with

other countries in the U.E., for example with the United Kingdom, there is a check

huge differential. This country consumes a bread whose saline content varies between

the 11 and the 13 grams of salt per kilo.

It makes the whole sense for the introduction of a regulation, which promotes

some harmonisation in the saline content of national bread, which bring us closer to the

values already practiced by other countries and that contribute to a reduction

gradual consumption of salt by citizens, according to the recommendations of the

World Health Organization.

Being the bread an admittedly essential food, it imposes the reduction

of its salt content that allows you to recognize it as a healthy food.

Given being in the face of a well-consolidated saline intake culture,

it matters to raise awareness of the bread-making industry and consumers to a

progressive reduction of salt content in bread, at the same time as fixed a

maximum salt content in this food, about 25% lower than the standard

'normal' of salt used by the industry, which on the one hand is predicted to be

well accepted by consumers, given the gustative imperceptibility

human for variations of this nature, and on the other hand, will have

very significant consequences in terms of gains in public health.

A review of the maximum levels set out in this Law, should be made

in the next 6 years, when a consolidation of this is foreseeable

new gustative consumption pattern of bread consumption in our country, and will be created

conditions for a further reduction of their saline content.

The identification of prepackaged foods with high salt content,

by a labelling of immediate understanding by the population, it was

implemented successfully in some European countries in the context of a

restriction policy of the consumption of salt.

Not being able to introduce severe limitations to the saline incorporation of some

pre-packaged foods, given that these use salt as their main

preservative, it seems however very important to raise awareness of the industry

feed for the progressive reduction of saline content in these foods, thus

as for the use of an objective labelling, clear, simple,

identifying the saline content of food, which allows for an easy choice and

conscious on the part of the consumer.

In these terms

The Deputies below signed, present the present project of

Law, under paragraph (b) of art 156º of the Constitution of the Republic

Portuguese and Articles 131º, 132º No 1, 137º and 138º of the Rules

of the Assembly of the Republic, and in the following terms:

Article 1º

(Subject)

1-A present Law sets maximum limits on the salt content in bread well

as guidelines for the labelling of prepackaged foods targeted

to human consumption.

2-Are covered by this Law all types of bread, including the

named "bread without salt" and the "whole bread".

Article 2º

(Definitions)

For the purposes of this Law, it is understood to be:

a) "Pão": food prepared with flour, usually of wheat or other

cereals, water and salt, forming a mass with a consistency

elastic that allows you to give you various forms.

b) "Sal": ionic compound whose most well known element is chloride of

sodium, commonly known as "common salt" or "cooking salt",

by being largely used in human food.

(c) "labelling": set of mentions and indications, inclusivity image and

brand of manufacturing or trade, relating to the food product

which feature on the packaging on label, label, strap,

gortille, document sign, accompanying or referring

to the respective product.

d) "Pre-packaged foods intended for human consumption": the

set of the packaging and the product in it packaged before the

your exhibition on sale to the final consumer, being the packaging

commercially marketed with the product and involving it

completely in such a way that your content cannot be

modified or violated.

Article 3º

(Maximum salt content in bread)

The maximum content allowed for the salt content in the bread, after

confected, it is 1.4 grams per 100 grams of bread (ie 14

grams of salt per Kilo of bread or the corresponding 0.55 g of sodium per

100 grams of bread).

Article 4º

(Labelling)

Without prejudice to the information that the labelling of prepackaged foods

intended for human consumption must contain in the legal terms, they should be

observed the following guidelines:

(a) provide an objective, simple information that includes data

on the relative and absolute amount of salt in the packaging.

b) Include well-visible, easy-to-read graphic characters, which

identify clearly from the qualitative and quantitative point of view,

the saline content of prepackaged foods.

Article 5º

(Counterordinations)

1-Constituent counterordinance, the infringement of the provisions of Article 3º, punishable

with fine, in the minimum amount of € 500 and maximum of € 3500, treating

of natural persons, and in the minimum amount of € 750 and at most

€ 5000, dealing with a collective person.

Article 6º

(competent authority)

1-Without prejudice to the competence conferred by law to other entities

police officers and supervisors, competes especially with the Security Authority

Food and economic, ensure the enforcement of compliance with the rules

provided for in this Law.

2-In The Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira is ascribe to the

competent services and bodies of their respective administrations

regional to be competent to ensure the enforcement of compliance with

rules contained in this diploma.

Article 7º

(Transitional standard)

Marketing, up to the exhaustion of stocks, is authorised.

products not complying with the standards provided for in this Law, since

that demonstrably have been manufactured prior to their entry into

vigour.

Article 8º

(Entry into force)

This diploma shall come into force within 90 days of the date of

your publication.

S. Bento, December 18, 2008

The Deputies