Shoppers Should Check Salt Content When Buying “Free From” Products
A lot of dairy free, wheat and gluten products available on supermarket store shelves have been shown to contain high salt levels, according to new research publish by the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH).
CASH, established to promote awareness of the damage that results from excessive salt intake, studied 71 own label products from five UK supermarket chains which are labelled as “free from” and found that over 50 per cent contain larger amounts of salt than standard versions of the product that were also being sold by retailers.
Some of the products tested possessed more than six times the salt levels as standard product comparables, with a third of products tested being found to contain lower levels of salt.
All five supermarket chains that were tested, stocked products, some of which were labelled as ‘free from’ that contained higher levels of salt than standard versions of the product.
Products which fared worse than their standard products counterparts include, Sainsbury’s Free From Jaffa Cakes, Morrisons’ Free From Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Products which contain high levels of salt pose risks of heart disease, since salt consumption is linked to high blood pressure.
Graham MacGregor, chairman of CASH, said: “In general, it has been the supermarket own-label products that have led the way in salt reduction, but it seems that own-label products for people with existing health problems have not been a top priority for the retailers.”
“They must now reformulate the higher-salt products immediately, so that people suffering from Coeliac disease or other related conditions do not have to put their health in further jeopardy.”
The British Heart Foundation says the salt levels found in basic food items such as bread, that are eaten on a daily basis, was a cause for concern.
A spokeswoman for the British Nutrition Foundation said: “The advice for people selecting ‘free from’ foods is the same as for other consumers buying any foods – check the labels. Be savvy about what you buy.
Mr. Macgregor added that the recommended daily maximum salt consumption limit is 6 grams a day.
Please Note - All Prices Quoted Are Correct at Time of Posting
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