Reducing Salt Intake through EU Sustainable Public Procurement in Daycare Meals in Copenhagen
Abstract
Background: Excess salt intake increases blood pressure and is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in Europe. Intake remains above recommendations, and early-life exposure shapes lifelong preferences. Reducing salt intake in childhood is therefore critical.
Policy context: The European Commission Joint Research Centre’s Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) criteria prioritise salt reduction, particularly in early childhood settings where limiting salt in staple foods such as bread can have substantial impact.
Project: Within the EU JointAction-NCD, the Municipality of Copenhagen has initiated a project to develop and test low-salt bread for children, using procurement as a lever and building evidence for future SPP criteria and municipal strategies. In 2024, 31,000 children consumed ∼63,000 bread-based meals daily (∼215 tonnes of bread annually).
Methods: In 2026, bread producers will develop low-salt bread which is tested in a pilot study in nurseries and daycare institutions focusing on rye bread as a key source of salt in the children’s diet. In collaboration with four bread producers, Steno Diabetes Center and public kitchens low salt ryebread is currently developed to meet SPP thresholds (≤0.3 g salt/100 g for children <3 years). The pilot is conducted in four daycare institutions (∼300 children aged 0–6 years). Baseline intake is estimated as served minus leftover bread at institutional and individual levels.
Outcomes: Product quality, acceptability, and potential health impacts will be assessed. The intervention focuses on rye bread as a major salt source, combining procurement data and weighing methods. Findings will inform procurement criteria and municipal guidelines and support alignment with European nutrition policies.
Key messages: • Public procurement has potential to reduce salt intake in children by targeting staple foods such as rye bread in daycare settings.
• Developing low-salt bread aligned with SPP criteria may support scalable, policy-driven prevention of excess salt intake in early life.
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BibTeX
@article{bjoernsbo2026reducing,
title = {{Reducing Salt Intake through EU Sustainable Public Procurement in Daycare Meals in Copenhagen}},
author = {KS Bjoernsbo and AB Hegner and U Toft and IB Jacobsen},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1923},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1923},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reducing Salt Intake through EU Sustainable Public Procurement in Daycare Meals in Copenhagen
AU - KS Bjoernsbo
AU - AB Hegner
AU - U Toft
AU - IB Jacobsen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1923
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1923
AB - Background: Excess salt intake increases blood pressure and is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in Europe. Intake remains above recommendations, and early-life exposure shapes lifelong preferences. Reducing salt intake in childhood is therefore critical. Policy context: The European Commission Joint Research Centre’s Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) criteria prioritise salt reduction, particularly in early childhood settings where limiting salt in staple foods such as bread can have substantial impact. Project: Within the EU JointAction-NCD, the Municipality of Copenhagen has initiated a project to develop and test low-salt bread for children, using procurement as a lever and building evidence for future SPP criteria and municipal strategies. In 2024, 31,000 children consumed ∼63,000 bread-based meals daily (∼215 tonnes of bread annually). Methods: In 2026, bread producers will develop low-salt bread which is tested in a pilot study in nurseries and daycare institutions focusing on rye bread as a key source of salt in the children’s diet. In collaboration with four bread producers, Steno Diabetes Center and public kitchens low salt ryebread is currently developed to meet SPP thresholds (≤0.3 g salt/100 g for children <3 years). The pilot is conducted in four daycare institutions (∼300 children aged 0–6 years). Baseline intake is estimated as served minus leftover bread at institutional and individual levels. Outcomes: Product quality, acceptability, and potential health impacts will be assessed. The intervention focuses on rye bread as a major salt source, combining procurement data and weighing methods. Findings will inform procurement criteria and municipal guidelines and support alignment with European nutrition policies. Key messages: • Public procurement has potential to reduce salt intake in children by targeting staple foods such as rye bread in daycare settings. • Developing low-salt bread aligned with SPP criteria may support scalable, policy-driven prevention of excess salt intake in early life.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -