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Action on Salt survey exposes salads that pose serious threat to health
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Friday, 22 June, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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London
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Ready-to-eat salads could be damaging our health. These were the findings of a new nationwide product survey by Action on Salt. The expert group, based at the Wolfson Institute, Barts and The London, Queen Mary University of London, found that the salt content of salads bought from restaurants, sandwich/coffee shops and fast food outlets has, worryingly, increased by 13 per cent since they were last surveyed in 2014 (from 1.65g to 1.86g per serving on average), highlighting a distinct lack of commitment from the food industry to reduce salt.
More than a third (36 per cent) of the 213 restaurant, sandwich/coffee shop and fast food salads surveyed contained a shocking 2g of salt or more per salad. The worst offender was Nandos Mediterranean Salad with Chicken Breast and extra hot sauce, with 6.2g salt - more than an adult’s entire daily recommended limit of salt in just one salad!
Surprisingly, Pizza Express Grand Chicken Caesar Salad with Dough Sticks contains 5.3g salt per serve – more than their Classic Margherita Pizza – and McDonald’s Grilled Chicken and Bacon Salad with Balsamic Style Dressing contains the same amount of salt as their cheeseburger.
Even salads deceivingly branded as healthy contain high amounts of salt, such as Benugo’s Supercharged Omega Salmon with 3.5g salt, over half of an adult’s maximum recommended daily limit.
Although nutrition information was available at the majority (15/21) of the restaurant and fast food chains included in the survey (either on pack, on the shelf label or at the counter on request) only one chain (Costa) provided full colour-coded nutrition information.
Without this information readily available at their disposal, consumers struggle to know which options contain the least amount of salt, making it impossible to make an informed decision. This clearly demonstrates the need for clear consistent nutrition labelling in restaurants and fast food outlets to help customers compare products and make healthier choices.
Action on Salt also surveyed all ready-to-eat salads from retailers, including pasta, rice, couscous, noodle and other grain (for instance, quinoa) salads from the deli and food to go sections. Over the last four years, the average salt content of retail salads has remained relatively unchanged demonstrating a lack of progress in salt reduction by the food industry.
Worryingly, the salt content of some has increased since 2014, including Tesco’s Chicken and Bacon Pasta, which now contains more than double the amount of salt (from 0.40g per 100g in 2014 to 1g per 100g in 2018).
Of the 312 retail salads surveyed this year, M&S’ Teriyaki Chicken Sticky Rice Salad with a soy and wasabi dressing was the saltiest, with a shocking 3.50g per pack, more than half an adult’s maximum daily recommended limit. Only 17 per cent of the retail salads surveyed were low in salt and would receive a green label on front of pack.
Such excessive levels of salt are completely unnecessary; healthier salads with much less salt are available, as demonstrated by the large variation in salt per portion between salads within the same category. For example, Morrisons Chicken and Bacon Pasta (2.54g/250g pack) contains over four times more salt than Asda’s Spicy Chicken Pasta (0.60g/300g pack). Saturated fatIn addition to salt, the survey also found salads to contain worrying amounts of saturated fat (saturates), with some containing almost an entire day’s worth. Aldi’s Just Tasty Cheese Layered Salad, 380g, contains 53.2g fat – more than three quarters of an adult’s maximum recommended intake - and 16.7g saturates (84 per cent of the maximum recommended intake). In contrast, Sainsbury’s On the Go Cheese & Tomato Pasta, 300g contains 18.6g fat and 4.5g saturates. Of the restaurant chains, the worst was Zizzi’s Arcobaleno Rainbow Salad with Goat’s Cheese with 20g of saturated fat, the entire maximum recommended intake for adults, followed by Pizza Express’ Pollo with Dough Sticks with 17.1g saturates. Sarah Alderton, nutritionist, Action on Salt said, “Salads are typically considered to be a healthy option, but restaurants and retailers are continuing to add unnecessarily high amounts of salt and saturated fat to their salads and putting the health of their customers in jeopardy.” “We want the food industry to be transparent by displaying clear, colour-coded nutrition information on the front of the pack or at the point of sale, to help consumers make a more informed decision wherever they choose to eat,” she added. Mhairi Brown, nutritionist, Action on Salt, said, “Up to 75 per cent of our salt intake comes from salt added to food by manufacturers, and this survey demonstrates just how easy it is to unwittingly eat excess salt, with such high amounts added to our go-to healthy choice of salads. This survey highlights the urgent need for Public Health England to reinvigorate the United Kingdom’s salt reduction strategy.” Graham MacGregor, professor, cardiovascular medicine, Queen Mary University of London, and chairman, Action on Salt, stated, “It’s shocking to see that certain restaurants and supermarkets have failed to take responsibility to reduce salt – especially after our 2014 survey exposed their dangerously salty salads. Reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure to reduce the number of people dying or suffering from strokes or heart disease. We are now calling on PHE to take immediate action.” Statement from AbokadoThe nutritional information on Abokado's website for the Teriyaki Dressing included incorrect data. In a recent statement, a spokesperson from the company said, “There is an error in our data. The salt content of The Teriyaki Chicken Rice Salad is 1.67g per serve. The separate (optional) pot of Teriyaki Dressing is 1.15g per 25g pot, making the total salt content 2.82g, if both are consumed together.” Abokado has now updated the nutritional content on its website to reflect this correct data. The spokesperson said, “We always strive to give our customers a balanced range of breakfast and lunch options and have treated this matter with the greatest priority.” Top tips to ditch the salt from your salad- Check the label for salt and use the FoodSwitch app to find the healthier supermarket salads
- Avoid salads with salty ingredients (for instance, feta, parmesan, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and bacon)
- Use salad dressing sparingly, or better still, none at all if it is provided in a pot on the side. Go for ones without dressing where possible. When eating out ask for the dressing on the side so that you can determine how much (or little) to use
- Beware of misleading portion sizes - nutrition information per serving may be for a quarter of a pot, half-a-pot, etc., and not the whole pack, so check to see if you are eating this amount or more
- Make your own. You can control what you put in – choose less salty ingredients like beans, chickpeas, plenty of fresh colourful vegetables, salad leaves, lean meat and unsmoked fish. Add herbs, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice for flavour, instead of dressings and sauces like mayo, which can be high in fat and salt
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