Salty foods named and shamed

Pizzas, baked beans and canned spaghetti containing high levels of salt were named and shamed by the UK’s food watchdog today.

A number of popular products had more than half the amount of salt recommended for adults to consume in a whole day.

High intakes of salt have been linked to high blood pressure which can increase the risk of heart disease and strokes,

The UK Food Standards Agency wants to reduce salt consumption among adults from the current average of 9.5 grams a day to six grams by 2010.

The agency commissioned a study to look at processed food, which contributes around three-quarters of the salt in people’s diets.

Among the products highlighted was a Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza from supermarket chain Tesco. Half a standard-sized pizza contains 4.1 grams of salt - or 68% of the recommended 6 gram limit.

A Crisp Fine Base Speciale Pizza from manufacturer Dr Oetker was even higher, with 4.4 grams of salt for the same size portion – 73% of the suggested daily limit.

Baked beans had some of the highest amounts of salt, according to the survey.

Own-brand baked beans from supermarkets Morrisons, Budgens and Somerfield all contained 3.2 grams in half a tin (210 grams) – 53% of the daily limit.

The survey found even more salt in some brand of tinned spaghetti in tomato sauce.

The highest were Asda Spaghetti and Spaghetti Loops, and Co-op Spaghetti which contained 3.7 grams of salt – 62% of the daily maximum.

The survey revealed a big variation in salt levels in the same type of products.

While Safeway’s Kids Spaghetti Letters contain 1.5 grams of salt, a similar product from the Blue Parrot Café Range from Sainsbury’s contained 0.5 grams.

A Sainsbury’s Blue Parrot Cheese and Tomato Pizza, and a Kids Crew Cheese and Tomato Pizza from Iceland came out worse in their category. Both contained 1.4 grams of salt – or 28% of the recommended daily amount for a seven to 10-year-old.

Yet a children’s Food Explorers Cheese and Tomato Pizza from Waitrose contained just 0.5 grams of salt, and a similar product from Tesco 1 gram.

John Krebs, chairman of the FSA, said: “Foods such as baked beans, spaghetti and pizza are products which families rely on.

“The fact that the salt in one can of baked beans, or a pizza, can vary so dramatically indicates that manufacturers can reduce the amount of salt they add to these products.

“The Food Standards Agency wants to see more substantial reductions in salt in food products.”

Professor Graham MacGregor, chair of pressure group Consensus Action on Salt and Health, said: “This very important work from the Food Standards Agency clearly demonstrates once again the huge variation in salt content of many foods eaten regularly by adults and children.

“This research dramatically illustrates the fact that the food industry can produce food with much lower salt content. Why are they not doing do?”

Sainsbury’s said in a statement: “Sainsbury’s has led the way in challenging the levels of salt in its products and in November 2003 was the first UK supermarket to announce challenging salt reduction targets.”