Can we reduce salt levels in bread without affecting taste?

ISRCTN	ISRCTN11240937
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN11240937
Secondary identifying numbers	151

Submission date: 11/07/2012
Registration date: 04/09/2012
Last edited: 15/10/2018

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Circulatory System

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims:
The aim of this study is to establish whether the amount in salt can be reduced in a common everyday food item such as bread without a discernible difference in taste. Bread has been chosen because of the fact that it is consumed in large quantities in the staple diet of many people in addition to the fact that it is also a large contributor to our daily salt intake.

Who can participate?
We have asked that only people over 18 participate and exclude anyone who is known to have Coeliac disease or is gluten intolerant. Both of the criteria have been passed by our local ethics committee.

What does the study involve?
The study involves members of the public tasting 5 different types of white bread. Each bread type will be made with varying levels of salt, a salt alternative such as Lo-Salt or no salt. All breads will be made by a professional local baker who adheres to local food standards for handling and preparation. The members of the public will then be asked to comment on the taste of the bread and record their views on a data sheet.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The benefits of reducing salt in bread are potentially huge. We generally consume far excess the amount of salt we actually need. High salt consumption has been linked to poor health outcomes such as stroke and cancer. By reducing salt in an everyday item such as bread, a significant knock on reduction on the overall amount of public salt consumption could be gained. There are very few risks.

Where is the study run from?
University of Oxford

When is study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study will run from August 2012 until December 2012. After this all the results collected will be subject to data analysis.

Who is funding the study?
National Institute of Health Research, National School of Primary Care Research.

Who is the main contact?
Dr Kamal R. Mahtani

Contact information

Dr Kamal Ram Mahtani
Scientific

University of Oxford
Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
New Radcliffe House
Walton Street
Jericho
Oxford
OX2 6NW
United Kingdom

Study information

Study design	Randomised controlled crossover trial
Primary study design	Interventional
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)	Other
Study type	Prevention
Participant information sheet	Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a patient information sheet
Scientific title	Can we reduce salt levels in bread without a discernable difference in taste
Study objectives	Is there a difference in taste preference for bread made with half levels of salt or a salt alternative compared to standard levels of salt?
Ethics approval(s)	Medical Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Ethics Committee, University of Oxford, 17/06/2012
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Cardiovascular disease
Intervention	This is a double blinded randomised control cross over trial. Participants will be asked if they would like to taste some white bread then comment on it. Participants will be recruited from the Oxfordshire general public. Participants will be informed that this is a bread tasting experiment. Informed consent will be taken as the patient wishing to become enrolled and signing their participation sheet. They will be asked to taste 5 different types of white bread will be blinded to the salt content of the bread they will be tasting. Their taste preference will be recorded on a Visual Analogue Scale which will be used for the analysis.
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure	Overall taste score
Secondary outcome measures	Correlation between taste preference and: 1. Gender 2. Age 3. Smoking status
Overall study start date	01/05/2012
Completion date	01/03/2013

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Adult
Lower age limit	18 Years
Sex	Both
Target number of participants	350
Key inclusion criteria	Adults (over 18 years of age) who regularly eat white bread
Key exclusion criteria	Anyone under the age of 18 years old or has a gluten intolerance or Coeliac disease
Date of first enrolment	01/05/2012
Date of final enrolment	01/03/2013

Locations

Countries of recruitment

England
United Kingdom

Study participating centre

University of Oxford

Oxford
OX2 6NW
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Birmingham
Government

NIHR School for Primary Care Research
Primary Care Clinical Sciences
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
United Kingdom

Website	http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/haps/departments/primarycare/index.aspx
"ROR"	https://ror.org/03angcq70

Funders

Funder type

Government

National Institute for Health Research - School for Primary Care Research (NSPCR) (UK)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination plan	2018 pre-print paper in https://figshare.com/articles/Effects_on_taste_of_salt_reduction_in_bread/7087670/1
IPD sharing plan

Editorial Notes

15/10/2018: Pre-print publication added to publication and dissemination plan
06/07/2018: No publications found, verifying study status with principal investigator
18/03/2016: No publications found, verifying study status with principal investigator