The food industry must take responsibility for the continued excessive consumption of salt, which has reached an unacceptably high level of 10-12 gm per adult in the western world, Prof. Graham McGregor of St George's University, London, told the Vitafoods conference in Geneva.

He told food industry delegates that 80% of salt intake was from processed foods and that even a modest reduction in salt consumption could save as many as 7,000 lives a year in Britain alone, reports FoodNavigatorEurope.com.

"The commonest cause of death in Europe is strokes and heart attacks," Prof. McGregor said. "These diseases are totally preventable and are entirely due to diet and lifestyle. 80% of all heart attacks are attributable to high blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk of dying of a stroke."

The professor added that the idea that stress causes high blood pressure was "complete and utter nonsense." He said: "What raises blood pressure is high salt intake, a lack of fruit and vegetables, weight, a lack of exercise and excessive alcohol. By far the most important of these factors is salt."