Seven in 10 snacks sold as part of lunchtime meal deals in UK high street shops and supermarkets contain dangerously large amounts of salt, sugar or saturated fat, a new analysis shows.
The worst offenders include biscuits, cakes and crisps, according to research by the campaign group Action on Salt, which urged ministers to take action.
Three in 10 products studied were found to contain high levels of salt, which can contribute to high blood pressure, which is the single biggest cause of heart attacks and strokes.
For example, a packet of lemon and coriander green olives sold in the Co-op contained 2.02g of salt. That is the same as in five portions of salted peanuts and represents a third of an adult’s daily maximum salt intake of six grams recommended by health authorities in England.
Action on Salt nutritionists analysed the content of 360 individual products which are found in meal deals, which typically consist of a sandwich or salad, snack and cold drink.
“Without doubt meal deals are hugely popular, especially amongst the nation’s workforce looking for a convenient and ‘value for money’ lunch”, said Sheena Bhageerutty, an assistant nutritionist at the campaign group.
“Yet unbeknown to many consumers, these meal combos and snacks are often exceedingly high in salt, which means an adult can consume their maximum daily recommended salt intake in just one meal without even knowing it.”
In January the researchers looked at products sold in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Boots, the Co-op, Morrison’s, Asda, Subway and Shell garages. All eight offer a meal deal combination that includes more salt than a McDonald’s Big Mac and fries.
Cornish pasties, sausage rolls, chicken bites and mini-Cheddars emerged as those that were most heavily laden with salt. Researchers found that 82% of meal deal snacks at Subway were high in saturated fat, salt or sugar. Morrisons scored the best, but 63% of its equivalent products were also in that category.
However, Morrisons emerged as the retailer with the highest proportion of snacks – 46% – which did not comply with government salt reduction targets across a range of foods. Sainsbury’s was the best on 19%.
Graham McGregor, a professor of cardiovascular health at Queen Mary University of London, who is chairman of Action on Salt, said stripping out salt from meal deal products would save lives.
“Given the fact that food companies have the very simple option to reformulate with less salt and help prevent the many thousands of people who currently die unnecessarily, it’s remarkable that very few companies choose this option”, he said.
Ministers and Public Health England have been asking food manufacturers for years to cut the amount of salt they add to their products by 2024. However, progress reports in 2018 and 2020 found that while some targets had been met, many had not.
Kate Halliwell, the chief scientific officer at the Food and Drink Federation, said: “For over a decade, food and drink manufacturers have worked hard to reduce the level of salt found in everyday foods, while still providing great tasting products that consumers enjoy.”
FDF members have cut salt the amount of salt in their products by 16% since 2017, she insisted. “Our companies will continue their work to invest in new technology and methods to further reduce these levels without compromising on product safety, quality or taste”, she added.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We continue to urge the food industry to reduce salt levels in everyday foods further by 2024 and we’ll report on their progress later this year. On top of this, we’re restricting advertising for foods high in fat, salt or sugar and changing the law to reduce promotions of less healthy food in retailers.”
Saltiest snacks sold as part of lunchtime meal deals
Ginsters Cornish party,180g (sold in Co-op) – 1.89g of salt, which is more salt than five and a half bags of ready salted crisps
Ginsters large sausage roll, 130g (sold in Asda and Co-op) – 1.42g of salt, more than four bags of ready salted crisps
Jacob’s mini-cheddars, 50g (sold in most retailers) – 1.2g in a 50g bag, which is more salt than three Mini Babybels
Love Corn Smoked BBQ, 45g (sold in Tesco) – 1g of salt per pack, which is more than in two portions of KP salted nuts
Pep’d Up Peperami chicken bites, 50g (sold in Asda) – 0.96g per pack, which is more salt than in four and a half slices of wafter-thin ham
• This article was amended on 17 March 2022 to add a Department for Health and Social Care statement that was provided after publication.
