Unpack the Salt: An Assessment of the Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership’s Media Advocacy Activities to Highlight the Salt Content of Different Foods

Abstract Background Australians are consuming almost double the recommended maximum salt intake. The Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership was established to coordinate efforts to reduce salt intake in the state of Victoria. As part of an intervention strategy, media and advocacy strategies were used to raise public awareness and stimulate industry and government action on salt reduction. This study aimed to assess the Victorian Salt Reduction Partnership’s media advocacy activities by collating the key findings of product category reports, identifying characteristics of press statements and assessing the media coverage and industry engagement. Methods Key findings, including means and ranges of sodium levels, were extracted from product category reports, and one-way ANOVAs were used to determine trends in sodium levels over time. Themes from press statements were identified through inductive qualitative analysis. Indicators of media coverage (media items, cumulative audience reach, advertising space rate) and food industry engagement (number of meetings, number and type of follow up actions) were tracked. Results 8460 products were analysed from six product category reports (bread, cooking sauces, ready meals, dips and crackers, processed meats and Asian-style sauces). Qualitative analysis of the press statements revealed three main themes: general information on salt and health, salt levels in foods, and calls to action. 759 media items (print and online news, radio and TV) were generated (range: 36–274 items), and an average cumulative audience reach of over 5.6 million was achieved (range: 2.3–7.5 million). One to three food manufacturers were met with per media release. Conclusions Disseminating sodium-monitoring data through media releases can be used as a tool to reach consumers with salt reduction messages and to engage food manufacturers in discussions about salt reduction. Characteristics of advocacy strategies can influence media and industry engagement. When planning future nutrition interventions that include advocacy strategies, external factors outside the of control of the program implementers, should be considered.