Industry urged to make further salt reductions

Ready meals have rapidly become a part of everyday life in the UK, but a recent survey by the country's Food Standards Agency regarding the high levels of salt found in many such products could put a brake on the sector's growth.

The survey covered six different types of ready meal - shepherd's pie, macaroni cheese, lasagne, chicken korma and rice, spaghetti and meatballs and chicken nuggets and chips - and included both manufacturers' and retailers' brands.

The survey was carried out by the NOP organisation in May 2003, and where possible assessed the salt content of the standard version of the meal, the 'healthy choice' option and the version aimed at children. The samples were bought from seven different supermarkets across the UK, and the salt content listed on the labels of all 69 samples was recorded.

Of those manufacturers who had products in all categories, Tesco's products contained the least salt overall, while Asda had the most products that contained more than 40 per cent of the recommended daily salt intake.

The survey found that products aimed specifically at children were often high in salt. Children aged 7 to 10 should be having no more than 5 grams of salt per day, according to the FSA, but a number of meals, including three of the Asda 'More for Kids' products such as macaroni cheese and shepherd's pie, contained more than 40 per cent of this daily target.

As far as the 'healthy choice' options were concerned, many did contain a little less salt than the standard versions, but the differences were often very small. One meal - Asda 'Good For You' lasagne - contained 60 per cent of the adult target daily intake of 6 grams per day.

Two of the lowest salt products were Safeway's chicken korma and rice and the lasagne from the same chain's 'Eat Smart' range. Heinz Weight Watchers and Birds Eye Less Than 3 per cent Fat chicken korma were also relatively low in salt.

Among the standard ready meals, 83 per cent of all the standard products contained more than 40 per cent of a day's maximum recommended salt intake, the survey showed. Sainsbury's shepherd's pie had 5.9 grams of salt per portion - 98.3 per cent of the target daily salt intake for adults.

Sir John Krebs, Food Standards Agency​ chairman, said: "Ready meals are increasingly popular for many consumers, and can be a fast and easy way for parents to feed the family. But our survey shows that many have very high levels of salt in them.​

"This leaves little room for the salt we take in from other foods such as bread and cereals. Convenience shouldn't mean an increased health risk. And when products aimed particularly at children contain lots of salt, it's even harder for parents to make sure their kids aren't eating too much."​

He added: "It is possible to reduce the amounts of salt in ready meals - that's clear because there was up to a four-fold variation in the amounts of salt we found in the same types of meal. Manufacturers and retailers are starting to respond to our calls, but they need to go further and play their part in improving the health of the nation."​

Krebs was particularly scathing about the salt content of so-called healthy ready meals. "It isn't acceptable for ready meals loaded with salt to be called 'healthy' options. They are far from it and mislead consumers. The food industry has a responsibility to be honest with consumers and we will be checking again next year to see what progress they have made."​

Discussions are continuing between the FSA and the food industry with the aim of reducing salt levels in processed foods. The Food and Drink Federation, which represents the UK food and drink manufacturing industry, recently made a commitment​ to reduce salt levels in products such as soups and sauces, and the organisation has reiterated its commitment to taking action on salt levels.

"The Food Standards Agency has advised consumers to reduce salt intake. Our industry is glad to cooperate with the FSA to help achieve that end. The majority of products in the ready meals sector are retailer-branded. However, manufacturers are also committed to encouraging consumers of all ages to improve their own health through a balanced diet,"​ the FDF​ said in a statement.

High salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease. People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease and stroke, and twice as likely to die from these diseases than people with normal levels. In England alone, high blood pressure contributes to more than 170,000 deaths per year.

Current adult salt intake in the UK is around 9 grams, but the FSA said that reducing consumption by one third, to 6 grams a day, would improve public health significantly by reducing average population blood pressure levels. Average consumption of salt by children aged four to 14 is more than 5 grams a day.

The popularity of ready meals seems to be without bounds, at least according to recent data from market analysts Mintel​ cited by the FSA. Total ready meal sales in the UK were valued at £1.78 billion (€2.5bn) in 2001, up 46 per cent on 1997. Chilled ready meals are the most popular, accounting for 53 per cent of the market, followed by frozen (40 per cent) and ambient (7 per cent).