It is well documented that people consume too much salt in their diet. Processed foods are responsible for at least 75% of daily salt intake among the populations of most countries. In addition, cross-epidemiological studies have shown populations with higher salt intakes have higher levels of blood pressure.
As a response to this, the industry has been working hard to reduce the levels of salt in processed food products. To replace the sodium chloride in foods, salt replacers, such as potassium chloride, potassium lactate and magnesium sulphate, are applied--with potassium chloride still being the most widely and commonly used.