High salt content of celebrity sauces revealed

High salt content of celebrity sauces revealed

12 November 2009

Many top-selling pasta sauces contain much more salt than supermarket versions, according to new research from a campaign group led by St George's Professor of Cardiovascular Science, Graham MacGregor.The survey by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) revealed that branded sauces by the likes of Jamie Oliver and Lloyd Grossman have up to 3g of salt per 100g, half the recommended daily adult allowance.

CASH surveyed 190 jars, pots and packets of pasta sauces, including branded products and own-label products from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Somerfield and Co-op. On average, the leading brands contained 25 per cent more salt than the supermarkets’ own. The branded sauces, including Jamie Oliver, Lloyd Grossman, Dolmio and Ragu, had an average of 1.17g per 100g. The supermarket own-label products had an average of 0.86g per 100g.

TV chef Jamie Oliver’s Spicy Olive and Garlic was the worst culprit, with 3g of salt per 100g. Of the supermarket brands, Sainsbury’s Puttanesca Pasta Sauce had the most salt, with 2g per 100g.

The research also showed that pasta sauces’ labels and portion sizes are inconsistent, in some cases missing completely. CASH says this makes it hard to follow the Food Standards Agency’s advice to encourage consumers to check labels for salt content.

CASH Chairman Prof MacGregor said: “It is shocking to see so many products still so poorly labelled and high in salt. However, many brands, in particular supermarket own brands, have far less salt, proving that it is not necessary to add loads of salt to make a tasty product. People should either choose clearly labelled lower-salt pasta sauces or ideally make their own. Reducing the amount of salt they eat will reduce their risk of suffering a stroke or a heart attack.

“Salt puts up our blood pressure, which is the major risk factor for strokes, heart failure and heart disease, the leading causes of death and disability in the UK.”

Nutritionist and CASH Campaign Manager Katharine Jenner said: “Pasta with sauce is a quick and simple meal for many of us. But this survey shows it can be incredibly hard to choose a healthy option. There are still some sauces on the shelves with really high levels of hidden salt. We found a 30-fold variation within the tomato based pasta sauces and 22 of the 190 products we looked at do not meet the 2010 Food Standards Agency targets for salt content. We urge manufacturers to reduce their salt content and improve their labelling immediately.”

For the full set of data, click here.