Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
18 December 2010
High Salt Content
of Global Food Brands
In a survey of 260 prepared foods salt levels
showed surprising variations from country to country
Those who eat a bowl of Kellogg’s All Bran for breakfast may think they are doing something that’s good for their body. In the United States that might be true; in Canada, not so much.
According to World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) the All Bran cereal “contains 2.15g of salt per 100g in Canada, but only 0.65g of salt per 100g just over the border in the United States, less than a third of the Canadian level.”
Worldwide Study Examined Salt in Popular Brands
WASH looked at the products of some of the biggest names in the prepared food business – McDonalds, Nestle, Kellogg’s, and Subway were among the test subjects.
The particular focus of the inquiry was salt content, and this was found to change from country to country: “Not one product surveyed had the same salt content around the world and some displayed huge differences in salt content from one country to another.”
Here are some examples:
- Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger: salt content in Brazil – 3.2g. In the United Kingdom – 2.1g;
- Kentucky Fried Chicken Original Fillet Burger: salt content in New Zealand – 3.7g. In Australia – 2.4g;
- Subway Club Six-
inch Sandwich: salt content in the United Kingdom – 3.7g. In Finland – 2.0g.
Getting the Right amount of Salt
Sodium is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps balance the correct amount of fluids in the body and aids in the transmission of nerve messages. Salt also has a function in the action of muscles.
Too much salt, however, is not good for the body. But, what is too much? Here’s what the Mayo Clinic says: “Various organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, have published recommendations on daily sodium limits. Most recommend not exceeding the range of 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams (mg) a day for healthy adults.”
The Mayo Clinic reports that the average American gets salt from the following sources:
- 5% added while cooking;
- 6% added while eating;
- 11% from natural sources; and,
- 77% from processed and prepared foods.
Heart Disease Triggered
by High Salt Consumption
“Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide,” says Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman of WASH and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine.
He is quoted by WASH as saying “Eating too much salt puts up our blood pressure, the major risk factor of CVD. This leads to millions needlessly suffering and dying from heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes each year. If we reduce our salt intake by just a few grams a day, we can all reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke.”
Canada One of Highest Salt Consumers
Writing in The Globe and Mail (July 2009), Carly Weeks says Canada comes out of the study poorly. “In many cases,” Weeks writes, “sodium levels are highest in Canada and lowest in Britain, which launched an aggressive campaign several years ago to reduce salt consumption.”
She quotes Norm Campbell, a professor of medicine at the University of Calgary and Canadian Chair in Hypertension Prevention and Control as saying, “Most people have no idea how much salt they’re getting. Canadians should be outraged by this.”
Carly Weeks requested interviews with many of the companies whose products were reviewed by WASH but “no company contacted agreed to an interview on sodium.”
Image credit
M. Connors
Sources
“New Research Reveals Huge Differences in Salt Contents in Global Brands.” World Action on Salt and Health News Release, July 23, 2009.
”Sodium: How to Tame your Salt Habit Now.” Mayo Clinic.
“As Canadian as Salt? Study Finds more in our Food.” Carly Weeks, The Globe and Mail, July 23, 2009.
“Big Cuts in Sodium Possible with only Tiny Liking Drop.” Nathan Gray, foodnavigator.com, December 16, 2010.
© Canada and the World, December 2010
All rights reserved
“Reductions of up to 50 percent sodium content in food may be achievable with only minor decrease in liking and no effect on consumption of the food, according to new research.”
Nathan Gray, Food Navigator, quoting a study in the Journal of Food Science, December 2010
Daily recommended maximum intake of salt: 1,500 to 2,200 milligrams (mg) a day for children aged one to three, to a maximum of 2,300 mg for people aged 14 or older
Percentage of Canadians aged 19 to 70, who exceed the upper limit of salt intake: more than 85% of men and 60% of women
Two provinces with highest levels of salt intake: Quebec and British Columbia
Source
April 2007