New York: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched an upgraded “SHAKE the Salt Habit” package. The agency urges countries worldwide to step up the fight against excessive salt consumption—a hidden killer fueling heart disease and other major health threats.
Most people worldwide consume high levels of sodium and live in environments that drive excessive consumption.
SHAKE consolidates proven policies to help governments protect populations and save lives.
WHO, in a statement on Tuesday, stated that SHAKE brought together the latest WHO guidelines and “Best buys interventions’’ for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It merges these elements into a structured approach.
Globally, average sodium intake is estimated to exceed the WHO-recommended limit of 2000 mg per day by more than twice that amount. This equals 5 g of salt, or about one teaspoon, and contributed to 1.7 million deaths in 2023.
Excess sodium intake ranks as a leading dietary risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease globally.
While public health guidance frequently emphasises reducing salt intake, food environments pose persistent challenges. High levels of sodium are embedded in processed and packaged foods.
The world has missed the global sodium reduction target of 30 per cent by 2030.
Currently, only 28 per cent of the world’s population lives in countries enforcing mandatory sodium-reduction policies.
Launched during Salt Awareness Week 2026, the updated SHAKE technical package addresses the urgent need for governments to strengthen their actions and make them more effective. Its goal is to safeguard public health.
‘Excess salt consumption remains among the top preventable drivers of death globally. Implementing mandatory policies to reduce sodium intake is one of the most cost-effective actions countries can take to protect people from cardiovascular disease,’ Dr Luz Maria De Regil, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO, said.
‘With the updated SHAKE package, WHO equips countries with practical, evidence-based tools for decisive action to save lives,’ she added.
The updated resource offers a clear, step-by-step guide to help populations reduce sodium intake. It compiles the latest evidence-based guidance, practical tools, and country examples from an extensive collaborative process.
The SHAKE package emphasises government-led, mandatory sodium-reduction approaches through a coordinated programme model.
The package organises interventions into a coherent framework. It is defined by the SHAKE acronym: Surveillance, Harness industry, Adopt standards for labelling and marketing, Knowledge and Environment.
Importantly, the updated SHAKE package provides guidance on managing conflicts of interest with the food industry. It states clearly that the industry must not set public health policy.
It explains how governments can regulate and reduce the use of health-harming products that contain high levels of added sodium.
It also provides detailed annexes on data collection and enforcement. The resource helps counter common industry arguments.
“The second edition of SHAKE offers a practical menu of measures that countries can readily apply. It provides clear, step-by-step guidance and strong opportunities to scale up mandatory approaches to reduce persistently high salt intake across the region,” Xi Yin, Coordinator, Health Promotion and Policy unit, said.
Xi is the Acting Lead for the Nutrition and Food Safety unit in the Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
Several countries in the Western Pacific Region have drawn on SHAKE to inform their salt reduction efforts. These efforts are grounded in country-specific data and experience. We look forward to many more countries following their lead.’
WHO urges policy-makers to commit to bold action by setting national sodium reduction goals. It recommends developing comprehensive programmes with policies and interventions that transform food environments, thereby making reducing salt intake achievable.
