Share

Fast food salt content varies by country

Large differences exist in the levels of salt in foods sold at major fast-food restaurants in the United States and other developed countries, a new study says.

Researchers examined the salt content of more than 2,100 food items in seven product categories sold by Burger King, Domino's Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Subway in the United States, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The food-product categories included savoury breakfast items, burgers, chicken products, pizza, salads, sandwiches and french fries.

How the study was done

The study found that sodium levels in similar foods varied widely among the countries, and that fast food in the United States and Canada contained much higher levels of sodium than in the United Kingdom and France.

For example, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets in Canada contained 2.5 times more sodium than those in the United Kingdom. There were 600 milligrams of sodium (1.5 grams of salt) in a 3.5-ounce serving in Canada, but the same serving size in the United Kingdom contained 240 milligrams of sodium (0.6 grams of salt).

The study appears in the Canadian Medical Association's journal, CMAJ.

"Canadian companies indicate they have been working to reduce sodium but the high sodium in these foods indicates voluntary efforts aren't working," Norman Campbell, of the University of Calgary, and colleagues, said.

"These high levels indicate failure of the current government approach that leaves salt reduction solely in the hands of industry," the researchers said. "Salt-reduction programmes need to guide industry and oversee it with targets and timelines for foods, monitoring and evaluation, and stronger regulatory measures if the structured voluntary efforts are not effective."

High levels of dietary salt have been linked to high blood pressure and other harmful health effects.

"Decreasing salt in fast foods would appear to be technically feasible, and is likely to produce important gains in population health - the [average] salt levels of fast foods are high, and these foods are eaten often," the researchers concluded.

Read more:
Salt: The slow killer

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute outlines how to reduce sodium in your diet.


(Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.)

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE