Assessing the Impact of a Healthful Salt Measure Spoon on Salt Reduction and Taste Retention: Balancing Flavour and Health

This study aims to develop a Healthful Salt Measure Spoon as an intervention to reduce dietary salt intake while maintaining taste. It also aims to establish empirical values for salt reduction that ensure taste perception remains within acceptable limits. This salt reduction spoon will be given to the homemaker of the family. She will be told regarding the recommended daily salt intake for her family and provided with a spoon to measure the correct amount of salt each day. The measured salt for the total family using the salt healthful salt spoon will be kept in a jar and used exclusively for cooking for the day, with any leftover salt discarded at the end of the day. Next day again she will fill the jar and use the amount of salt for that day. At regular intervals (2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks and 12 weeks) she will be told to further reduce the amount of salt. She will accordingly measure the salt using the provides spoon and transfer to jar so that that amount can be used for the family for the day. We will also assess the acceptability of the Salt Measure Spoon and its influence on knowledge and attitudes regarding high-salt food consumption. A prospective before-after study design will be employed over 18 months, enrolling 122 individuals from the general population in the field practice area of the Community Medicine department, GMCH, Chandigarh. The primary outcome measure is the change in mean salt intake, estimated through urinary sodium excretion before and after the intervention (every fortnight urine will be tested and slat estriamtion done so as top know how much salt recution in diet is there.  This research will provide valuable insights into effective, acceptable strategies for salt reduction and their impact on dietary behavior.