When you enjoy a couple of digestive biscuits with your cuppa – who has just the one? – it probably doesn’t occur to you that you’re consuming salt. So it may shock you to learn there’s about the same amount of salt in that “sweet” snack as there is in a packet of ready salted potato crisps.
It’s not the salt we’re sprinkling on our meals at the table that’s damaging our health, according to campaign group Action on Salt. The hidden salt in sweet and savoury packaged foods is the silent killer; over time and in excessive amounts, it’s raising our blood pressure and causing heart attacks and strokes.
“We were getting the message to cut back on salt 10-15 years ago, but unfortunately it’s started to creep up again,” says Sonia Pombo, a registered nutritionist with Action on Salt. “In the UK, adults are eating about 8.4 grams of salt per day, about 40 per cent higher than the maximum recommended limit of 6g (about one teaspoon).” And most of that is hidden in products we buy at the supermarket, she says.
Salt serves a purpose in food, of course; in manufactured products it prevents spoiling and extends shelf life. And foods containing lower-quality ingredients are often generously salted to add much-needed flavour. “But food manufacturers certainly don’t need to add as much as they do,” Pombo says.
It’s not necessary to try to avoid salt altogether – our bodies need it to function. “It’s a case of scrutinising labels a bit more and switching to products with slightly lower amounts of salt,” Pombo says. “Small subtle changes over time will allow your tastebuds to adapt to eating less salt.”
The following foods are surprisingly high in salt, in many cases comparable to the amount in a 32.5g packet of Walkers Ready Salted Crisps (0.44g).
The McVities digestive biscuits mentioned above contain 0.2g of salt each, so a snack of two contains roughly the same amount as a bag of crisps. And there are even saltier sweet treats out there. Sainsbury’s Belgian White Chocolate & Raspberry Cookies contain 0.34g of salt each. White Ring Donuts from Iceland are covered in icing, so they might seem sugary – but each contains more salt (0.49g) than a packet of ready salted crisps.
Salt is essential in cheesemaking, but Action on Salt argues that some manufacturers use much more than necessary. In its recent report into 607 hard cheeses, the organisation found that Asda 30% Less Fat Mature British Cheese was the saltiest cheddar with 2g of salt per 100g. That means there’s 0.6g of salt in the recommended matchbox-size serving (30g) – more than a bag of crisps. Some manufacturers manage to make cheddar with much less salt, Pombo points out. But even the least salty cheddar, Morrisons Savers Mild Coloured Cheddar, contains 1.44g of salt per 100g.
String cheese, which is hugely popular with children, contains worrying amounts of salt at 0.36g per portion, Pombo says. “Manufacturers could make them with a much lower salt content. It’s a missed opportunity to help children develop a lower salt palate.” But plant-based cheeses are the saltiest. One brand – Tesco Plant Chef Alternative to Mature Cheese – contains 2.5g salt per 100g, while Cathedral City Plant-Based Dairy-Free Block contains 2.2g of salt per 100g.
Most of us consider cereal to be a sweet breakfast, but that’s not the whole picture. A bowlful might not taste as salty as crisps, but some brands are even saltier. For example, a 50g serving of Kellogg’s Cornflakes contains 0.55g of salt – significantly more than a bag of crisps – over one-quarter of the recommended intake of salt for a 3-year-old.
Even cereals considered healthy can be salty; one 50g serving of Kellogg’s Bran Flakes contains 0.33g of salt.
Our daily loaf – the plastic-wrapped supermarket kind - is one of the biggest sources of salt in the British diet, says Pombo. Even apparently healthy options are secretly salty. One slice of Hovis Granary Wholemeal sliced bread contains 0.46g of salt – more than a packet of crisps. A slice of Waitrose White Sourdough contains 0.41g.
If you eat sandwiches, the salt can easily add up. Two slices of Tesco White Bread (0.68g) spread with 4 teaspoons of salted butter (0.3g) and a serving of Marmite (0.86g) contains a total 1.84g of salt. That’s the same amount as in four packets of crisps, around one-third of the maximum recommended salt limit for adults, and the entire maximum daily recommended limit for three year olds.
Another big contributor to salt intake in Britain is processed and cured meat, including sliced ham and bacon. It’s not surprising they contain salt, as it’s used in the curing process, but the quantity they contain is sobering. For example, two slices of Sainsbury’s British Honey Roast Cooked Ham contain a total 0.55g of salt – significantly more than a packet of crisps. But bacon pulls an even saltier punch. Two rashers of Aldi Specially Selected Dry Cured Smoked Back Bacon contain 2.3g salt, more than in five packets of crisps.
Sausages are salty, too. Two Macaulay’s Irish Pork Sausages from Aldi contain 1.96g of salt – more than in four packets of crisps. Two Waitrose Cumberland Pork Sausages contain 1.58g of salt – more than three packets of crisps.
Like plant-based cheese, vegan meat alternatives are often high in salt to boost the flavour. “Eating less meat can and should be good for you, but people often conside plant-based alternatives as healthier when that’s not necessarily the case,” Pombo says.
Beyond Burger plant-based patties each contain more than 0.75g of salt – almost the same as in two bags of crisps, while two Richmond Meat Free Sausages contain 1.3g of salt – three bags of crisps.
It’s easy to overlook the salt content of condiments because we only use small amounts, but some are laden with it, and it all adds up. One tablespoon of Hellmann’s Fat Free Vinaigrette Salad Dressing contains 0.11g of salt, while Tesco French Style Dressing contains 0.2g.
Ketchup is even saltier. One 15g serving of Heinz Tomato Ketchup contains 0.3g of salt, so if you smother sausages with it, you’re not far off the amount of salt in a bag of crisps – and that doesn’t include the salt in the sausages. But brands vary. Morrisons Tomato Ketchup contains only 0.12g per 15g serving, while Sainsbury’s Tomato Ketchup and Batts Tomato Ketchup (Lidl) contain 0.15g and 0.2g of salt per serve respectively.
Food manufacturers have reformulated their recipes over the past few decades to drastically reduce the salt content in ready meals and soups. But some are still saltier than you might expect. Sainsbury’s Sausages and Mash contains 2.29g of salt – equivalent to the salt in more than five packets of crisps and almost half the recommended maximum daily limit for adults. Tesco Finest Spaghetti Carbonara isn’t far behind at 2.22g per serving.
Supermarket soups can also be incredibly salty. Cully & Sully Chicken and Vegetable Soup (available at various supermarkets) contains 2.4g of salt per serving, while M&S Chunky Chicken & Vegetable Soup contains 2g.
Any opinions, views and beliefs represented in this article are personal and belong solely to the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the opinion, views and beliefs of the organisation and employees of New Image™ International
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