Warning on foods loaded with salt

People may be putting their hearts at risk by choosing wheat or dairy-free products, which in fact are loaded with salt.

A new study which surveyed a range of own brand products using the label ‘free from’ wheat or dairy found that over half contained more salt that the retailer’s original version. Some had as much as six times the salt level of the original brand.

Consumers are being urged to pay close attention to labels. Products surveyed included items like Jaffa cakes, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate muffins – many of which consumers would not associate with salt.

Tesco's ‘free from’ Victoria Sponge has more than double the amount of salt as its standard brand, 1.4g per 100g compared with 0.6g of salt per 100g.

This study was carried out in UK supermarkets. The Blood Pressure Association in the UK said that people buy ‘free from’ foods in order to avoid health problems and it’s very disappointing that many have been found to be loaded with unnecessary salt.

The survey was carried out by the UK organisation Consensus Action on Salt and Health.

[Posted: Fri 25/09/2009]