A Study of Salt (Sodium Chloride) Content in Different Bread Consumed in Shiraz City in Spring/Summer 2009

Background: Randomized controlled studies over the last 4 decades demonstrated that controlling blood pressure
could reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease. The relationship between diet ingredient (particularly
the salt) and blood pressure has been well established and since bread is the main element in population diet,
especially in our country, the determination of sodium content of bread is of high priority and warrants further
investigation.
Method: A total of 204 bakeries were selected for this study and the amount of salt in different bread was
measured once during spring and summer, using the method of Iran’s Organization for Standards and Industrial
Investigation. The study was performed on 6 different kinds of bread baked in different districts of Shiraz city.
Results: This study demonstrated that 17.9% of bread’s salt level in Shiraz exceeds the standard level and the
remaining 82.1% is within the standard range. Mean percentage of bread’s salt was reported as 1.31 gram% .
Conclusion: Compared to the previous reports, the results of present study fortunately showed a reduction of
salt in bread during the last two decades. However, 17.9% of bread’s salt is yet more than the standard level.