We get more salt in our diet from breakfast cereals than ready meals, crisps and snacks

Published on Sunday 4 October 2009 22:15

THREE quarters of Britons are unaware staples such as bread and breakfast cereals are among the highest salt-contributing foods in our diet, a new study has found.

A survey of 2,267 people aged 16 and above undertaken by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) revealed 77 per cent of respondents did not realise three-quarters of our salt intake comes from foods that, while not necessarily the saltiest, are eaten most often.

The top three of such "salt-contributing" foods are bread, followed by meat products, then breakfast cereals, according to the FSA.

When asked to identify which foods contributed most salt to our diets from a list of ten items, only 13 per cent of people mentioned bread, and 12 per cent said breakfast cereals.

In contrast, 73 per cent mentioned crisps and snacks, 65 per cent ready meals and 36 per cent meat products.

The study coincides with a fresh print and broadcast advertising campaign launched by the FSA urging people to pay closer attention to the salt levels in the foods they are regularly buying.

It found 40 per cent of people questioned believed supermarket value ranges were higher in salt, but the FSA said sometimes the cheapest products were among the lowest in salt.

It said supermarket own-label versions of some foods, including bread, were sometimes lower in salt than the branded versions, and urged consumers to check individual labels and compare products. The FSA said Britons were eating on average 8.6g salt a day, instead of the recommended 6g.

Among those questioned in August, 85 per cent said they tended to stick to the same brands when buying everyday foods, but 26 per cent said they would change from their usual brand if they knew a lower salt option was available. Around a third of respondents said they were "very concerned" or "quite concerned" about the amount of salt they ate.

Rosemary Hignett, head of nutrition at the FSA, said: "Salt intakes are coming down, but if we are to get closer to meeting our target of reducing intakes to 6g a day, people need to become more aware of the foods which contribute to intakes, as it isn't just the obvious things we need to watch out for as far as salt is concerned.

"We're not suggesting people stop eating or even cut down on bread or breakfast cereals, as they are an important part of a healthy diet. But we are saying take a look at the labels to find one that is lower in salt. This could be a supermarket own-label product, and maybe one from the 'value' range. If so, any cost saving is an added bonus."

She added: "We've been working closely with food manufacturers and retailers to encourage them to use less salt in their foods, and are pleased with the progress that is being made. But there is still a wide variation of salt levels in different brands, which is why it is so important that people check the labels."

High levels of salt raise the risk of high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of stroke and premature death from heart disease according to health experts.

D'OH! SIMPSONS JOIN OBESITY FIGHT

THE Department of Health is to sponsor episodes of hit TV show The Simpsons in a bid to tackle obesity, it has been revealed.

In the "idents" bookending the show will be clips of specially designed characters tucking into fast food and unhealthy snacks before it is replaced with more nutritious fare such as fruit and vegetables.

The characters, designed by Aardman Animations, will mirror the images of the Simpson family sitting on the couch at the beginning of each episode.

Gillian Merron, the public health minis-ter, said: We are serious about tack-ling obesity and support-ing people to improve their health."