Pizza saltier than Atlantic sea water

More than a quarter of pizzas tested contained more than 1.25g of salt per 100g, set as a target to be achieved by the end of this year.

At the top of the list, a Tesco Full-on-flavour Simply Pepperoni thin stone-baked pizza was more than 30 per cent above the 1.25g goal.

The survey analysed 199 margherita and pepperoni pizzas from takeaways, pizza chains and supermarkets across the UK.

Half of all takeaway pizzas surveyed contained the entire maximum daily recommendation of salt for an adult, which is 6g. One restaurant pizza, with 10.57g of salt, was saltier than Atlantic sea water.

Manufactured trans fat, which presents a serious health risk and can cause heart attacks and strokes, was found in 84 per cent of the takeaway pizzas.

Currently, foods with 1.5g of salt per 100g are considered high in salt content.

Only 16 per cent of the take-away pizzas tested met the target, compared with three quarters of the supermarket pizzas.

However, despite containing a third less salt on average compared with takeaway pizzas, many supermarket pizzas were still classified as unhealthy. None of the surveyed supermarket pizzas was found to be low in salt, fat or saturated fat.

Three quarters of supermarket pizzas met the salt target, but none were found to be “green” traffic light label – low in salt, fat or saturated fat. In total, 69 per cent of the pizzas got a “red” or high label for saturated fat.

The survey, by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash), has been released as part of Salt Awareness Week.

This is organised each year by Cash to help raise awareness about the damaging effect of too much salt.

Researchers also found a pepperoni pizza from the Adam & Eve restaurant in Mill Hill, London, contained 10.57g of salt. This equates to 2.73g of salt per 100g – saltier than Atlantic sea water, which is 2.5g of salt per 100g.

Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of Cash, said: “Atlantic sea water contains 2.5g of salt per 100g. This allows a comparison to be made between the amount of salt in food and sea water. It also allows consumers to realise the huge and unnecessary amount of salt added to food.”

He added: “The government is not taking enough action to reduce salt in the takeaway sector. Salt puts up our blood pressure – the highest risk factor for stroke. Reducing our intake would save thousands of people suffering and dying from a stroke.”

A Morrisons spokeswoman pointed out that five of the top ten pizzas with low salt were from Morrisons, and that its recommended serving size was half a pizza.

Tesco and Iceland did not reply to requests for comment.