Sauces, spreads and processed meats are the worst “high salt” offenders on supermarket shelves, according to new data released by Sydney health researchers.
This is the first time the levels of salt in processed foods have been systematically surveyed in Australia. Excess salt consumption is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and stomach cancer.
Jacqui Webster, senior project manager for the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) in Sydney, said the study showed many foods are too high in salt and the information collected will provide a baseline to monitor future efforts to reduce salt levels.
Ms Webster also said the survey found an often dramatic difference in the salt levels of similar products. “If we take tinned tomatoes, for example, it could be as much as a hundred fold difference between the salt content of the lowest and the salt content of the highest,” she said.
“It show’s there’s really huge scope for reducing salt in these foods.”
Dr Geoffrey Annison, Deputy CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), which represents over 80% of the Australian food industry, said that salt has been used to preserve food and enhance taste for thousands of years and that manufacturers could not reduce salt levels too quickly because it could alter the taste of products and put consumers off.
Ms Webster said she wasn’t sure there was enough evidence this was true and often the natural ingredients in food can be tasted better once the salt is reduced. February 1 to 7 has been labelled “World Salt Awareness Week” by AWASH and the organisation will be calling for salt level targets for all foods.
A compulsory target is unnecessary because food producers are already moving in the right direction, said Dr Annison. He highlighted that many large producers had already committed to reducing salt levels and said that compulsory targets could also harm small food producers, who may not be able to afford to rapidly re-engineer their products.
Dr Annison also said that the industry was voluntarily introducing front of pack labelling of food products, which compare the nutrient levels in foods to the recommended daily intakes.
“The fundamental advice for reducing salt in anybodies diet is ‘eat to the dietary guidelines’,” he said. “Eat in moderation, eat a wide selection of foods and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.
“If people ate more fruits and vegetables and less of these other products that have been identified here … then they would go a long way towards reducing their sodium and salt intake.”
Grocery Shoppers Kristelle and Colin Ware of Redfern, said that they are aware of the dangers of salt and that they consider salt levels when purchasing food for their infant son Archie.
But Mrs Ware said that she probably doesn’t check salt levels for herself as much as she should and usually only consults front-of-pack labels when purchasing cereal. “I probably look at fat and sugar first,” she said.
The recommended daily intake for adults is just 6 grams per day. 25% of this intake comes from bread and a further 20% comes from meat products.
by Aaron Cook
