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Article History

Received: 30 October 2017

Accepted: 22 March 2018

First Online: 2 April 2018

Authors’ information

: SBB, principal investigator, specialized in public health nutrition with a focus on surveillance of CVD dietary risk factors and interventions at community level. She directed several projects on improvement of dietary quality in communal catering, and in particular on salt reduction in Switzerland.XL, PhD in Health Sciences (epidemiology) from the University of Bern, joined the project as a postdoctoral fellow. She has a strong background in methods in public health, and her research interests are in chronic disease epidemiology, and health services and implementation research.SH, biostatistician, has a diploma in mathematics, PhD in statistics, and several years of experience developing, conducting, analyzing, and publishing the results of clinical trials.KS, coinvestigator, is a recognized expert on health literacy in Switzerland. She was in charge of or involved in several studies of health literacy, patient education, and quality of life.CGK, nutritionist, obtained a PhD in health sciences (public health) from the University of Bern for her work on conceptual clarification and assessment of nutrition-specific health literacy. She now works as a project manager for the German Nutrition Society, where she is responsible for a research project on school catering.JE has an MSc in nutrition with further training in didactics, and is a lecturer at the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics of Bern University of Applied Sciences. She is experienced in development and implementation of educational programs for behavioral change from her former work as a nutritionist in hospitals.SJ, a registered dietitian with a master’s in human nutrition, works as a lecturer in the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics of Bern University of Applied Sciences. She specializes in consultation skills, behavior change, and teaching/didactics.SS, a registered dietitian with a BSc in nutrition and dietetics and a trained cook, is experienced in coaching of patients and groups. He collaborated in previous studies that aimed at improving dietary quality in communal catering and developing feasible measures to reduce salt content in food.RA, laboratory technician, is experienced in atomic spectroscopy analysis and sample management.MH, head of laboratory, has conducted several studies in the field of trace elements, both toxic and essential, including methodological, human biomonitoring, dietary intake, and migration experiments.PS is member of the commission for determination of dietary reference intakes (electrolytes) and of the working group for food-based dietary guidelines in Italy. He has performed clinical and epidemiological research on dietary sodium intake and blood pressure, and salt sensitivity as related to hypertension and cardiovascular risk.

: The trial was approved by Swissethics (KEK BE 130/14, PB_2016_01156) and registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (no. DRKS00006790) on 23 September 2014. All participating organizations signed a gatekeeper agreement and participants gave informed written consent.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.PS states that he is an unpaid member of WASH (World Action on Salt and Health) and coordinator of GIRCSI (Interdisciplinary Working Group for Reduction of Salt Intake in Italy).

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