German concern that the European Union intends to outlaw the beloved pretzel was assuaged partly on Tuesday when EU officials said the salty snack would not fall foul of new food labeling rules.

The future of the famous salt-coated loop of glazed and knotted bread was perceived to be threatened by a proposal of the European Commission to reduce salt levels in food by informing consumers about them.

“The Commission is not prohibiting any bread and [it] has no intention to regulate the salt level in any food,” the health service clarified on Tuesday.

“The idea is not to control salt levels or to reformulate traditional recipes, but [only] to ensure that there are no claims to health benefits if salt content is high.”

The action to cut salt in bread has been resisted by the bread-making lobby, especially in Germany, where the issue has been front-page news in newspapers ranging from sensational tabloid Bild to conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The bakers’ concern reflects past successes by Brussels in reducing salt content in bread “despite no demand from consumers”, according to Armin Junker of the German federation of bakers. The Commission said the fears were “completely unfounded”.

“You can continue to market bread on the basis of taste or tradition – the guidelines will only apply to ... health claims.”

The baking industry worries that, beyond the ever-intensifying pressure to reduce salt levels, companies would find themselves unable to advertise bread products – from the French baguette to the Italian focaccia – as part of a healthy diet unless salt levels were lowered.

The proposal would restrict the freedom of bakers to advertise health benefits – such as the high-fibre content of traditional products – without drawing attention to salt levels.

“We are also concerned that pre-packaged bread, which must show information on salt levels, could be at a disadvantage compared to non-packaged bread,” Mr Junker said.

Agencies