The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued guidance on how much salt children should eat in their diet.

There is widespread concern that over-consumption of salt increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by raising blood pressure levels.

On average, each person in the UK consumes about nine grammes of salt a day - 50% more than the recommended maximum.

The guidance says babies aged up to six months should consume less than one gramme of salt per day.

Older babies aged seven months to one year should consume around one gramme.

Children between one and six should consume no more than two grammes.

And children aged seven to 14 should have a maximum of five grammes.

The recommendations are based on a report by the government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), which looked at how much sodium is contained in breast milk.

Food industry

The FSA and the Department of Health are in talks with food manufacturers and retailers to find ways of reducing the amount of salt in processed foods - which is thought to make up 75% of salt in the average person's diet.

Professor Alan Jackson, SACN chairman, said: "The evidence for a direct association between salt intake and blood pressure is now stronger than when the evidence was last examined in 1994.

"As well as individual action by consumers, the food industry can also help people reduce their salt intake by reducing the level of salt in processed foods."

The pressure group CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) welcomed the guidelines.

In a statement, it said: "As 80% of salt in the UK diet comes form processed food and food bought outside the home, CASH hopes that it will pave the way for gradual but blanket reductions by the food industry, retailers, caterers and any organisation involved with food provision."

Peter Sherratt, general secretary of the Salt Manufacturers' Association, said research published in the British Medical Journal found there was no reason for people with normal blood pressure levels to cut salt intake.

He said there was evidence that low salt intake was linked to chronic fatigue and fainting, and even poor sexual performance.