Too much salt

Key findings released by the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) show that only 2% of sausages in Australian supermarkets meet acceptable salt levels. AWASH revealed that one single sausage sandwich at your local barbecue could contain as much as 6 g of salt; 100% of the maximum daily recommended amount for adults and almost double that recommended for children.

The product overview shows that other products commonly eaten at barbecues, such as hamburger patties, tomato sauce and some white breads, are also high in salt. It shows huge variations in the salt content of different brands of similar products, with some sausages containing over three times as much salt as others.

These findings have been released to coincide with the launch of an AWASH strategy of working with the food industry to reduce salt in foods by 25% over five years. The strategy requires high-level commitment from the food industry and the development of individual company action plans. AWASH is also inviting views on proposals for developing targets for salt levels for specific products and focusing on processed meats, bread and the fast food sector.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council supports the need to reduce population salt intakes to below 6 g per day and many major food companies have already developed salt reduction plans in line with the AWASH strategy.

Dr Bruce Neal, chairman of AWASH, says: “While some food companies deserve credit for their efforts to reduce salt, a lot more still needs to be done. Major players such as Coles, Kellogg and Unilever have been reducing salt for some time, but there are still far too many high salt products on supermarket shelves.”

“The food industry in Australia is committed to further action to reduce salt in foods. The government now needs to make salt a national health priority and lead negotiations on maximum salt targets for different products. Only then will Australians have a chance of reducing their daily salt intake to recommended levels,” says Dr Neal.