Almost a quarter of soup on sale in UK supermarkets has too much salt, study finds | Food & drink industry

Nearly a quarter of all soups bought in supermarkets contain too much salt, with one brand containing more salt than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers, a study has found.

Soup has long had a reputation as a healthy lunch choice. Analysis of nearly 500 varieties of canned and refrigerated soups sold in supermarkets found that 23% contained too much salt.

Of the 481 soups tested by Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS), almost half (48%) of branded soups and 6% of supermarkets’ own-label soups still exceeded the government’s voluntary target of 0.59g of salt per 100g serving.

The saltiest was Soup Head’s Tom Yum Soup, with 3.03g in a 300g packet – more than half of an adult’s total recommended daily limit and saltier than eating two McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Other soups high in salt include Daylesford Organic Minestrone Soup (1g per 100g) and Baxters Deluxe Cullen Skink Soup (0.95g per 100g).

Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 2 million deaths per year are linked to excessive salt consumption.

The NHS recommends that adults consume no more than 6g of salt, the equivalent of one level teaspoon, per day. English adults consume an average of 8.4g of salt per day, 40% more than this maximum.

AoSS found that almost 90% of Mr Organic soups, just under 70% of Heinz soups, 40% of Daylesford Organic soups and 27% of Crosse & Blackwell soups exceeded the voluntary maximum amount of salt in the soup.

The AoSS calculated that, under front-of-pack labeling guidelines, one in six soups would be labeled red due to their high salt content, and only 11 soups would be labeled green.

In contrast, all Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Co-op, Lidl and Covent Garden soups tested had salt levels at or below the government’s target.

Sonia Pombo, head of impact and research at AoSS, said the level of non-compliance with targets showed government action was needed.

“The UK was once a world leader in salt reduction, but progress has stalled. The Government must take the lead with stronger incentives to encourage reformulation and appropriate accountability, so that the healthier option becomes the default, not the exception.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government is introducing a modernized food nutrient rating system, which includes criteria for salt, to improve diets, which has a direct health benefit.

“We are also limiting junk food advertising on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods and introducing mandatory reporting on sales of healthy foods – all of which should also have an impact on the salt content of foods. »

Dell Stanford, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said reducing salt was a quick and cost-effective way to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, but because most of the salt consumed was added to foods before purchase, people had “little ability to reduce their intake through individual choice alone”.

A spokesperson for Veetee, which makes Soup Head’s Tom Yum soup, said: “We will continue to evaluate opportunities to reduce salt and improve the nutritional profiles of our range as part of our wider, long-term approach to health and wellbeing. »

A Heinz spokesperson said: “We have been reducing the amount of salt in our products since the mid-1980s…Reducing sodium without compromising taste and quality is a complex process and there is still work to be done. »

A spokesperson for Mr Organic said: “Over the last five months we have already been working behind the scenes on developing recipes to reduce salt in our soup range… We know that there are still very few options available that focus on lower salt content, and we see this as an important opportunity and responsibility for us as a brand.

Daylesford Organic said: “The salt content figure of 1g per 100g for Daylesford minestrone soup cited in this report was based on a printing error on the packaging which was independently verified to be incorrect. Laboratory analysis confirms that the actual salt content is 0.67g per 100g, which is 33% less than stated. The corrected packaging is already in production. We regret this error and we “We are committed to ensuring accurate nutritional labeling.”

Andrea Martinez-Inhausti, deputy director of food at the British Retail Consortium, said: “The retail sector is fully committed to helping improve the health of its customers, with the report showing that retailers are leading the way in product reformulation.

“It is of course important to strike a balance between reducing salt levels while maintaining the quality and taste that consumers expect. Clear on-pack labeling ensures that consumers are fully aware of the salt content of the products they purchase.”

A spokesperson for Baxters Food Group said: “We produce many soups that meet salt content guidelines well. The quality of our ingredients is fundamental to our business and all our soups are free from artificial colours, flavors and preservatives.”