A new online salt calculator has been launched by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to help craft bakers reduce the amount of salt in their bread.

The tool has been designed to help bakers calculate the level of salt in a finished product, which will also enable them to work out how close they are to meeting the 2012 FSA salt targets. It is simple to use, just requiring the baker to enter the amount of flour and salt they are using in a recipe.

The calculator has been produced following research carried out by the FSA, the National Association of Master Bakers and Norfolk County Council, which looked at how feasible it would be for the craft industry to reduce salt in bread. The research identified recipe changes "that would allow the production of bread in line with the salt targets".

The recipes were tested in commercial craft bakery premises, in different locations, and using a range of bread-making processes. The findings indicated that these recipes were easy to achieve and acceptable to consumers.

"Research also showed that bakers can reduce the level of salt in bread by 25% over six weeks and customers will not notice the difference," said the FSA.

A guide to salt reduction in bread is also available to use alongside the calculator.

www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/ salt/saltcalc