Higher salt levels in some own-label lines blasted by CASH

Supermarkets have rejected claims they are putting shoppers’ health at risk by ramping up salt in own-label grocery products.

Retailers this week faced criticism from the Consensus Action on Salt & Health after a study of tinned tomato soup, chilled cottage pies, bread, cornflakes and Cheddar cheese revealed salt levels have soared in own-label products.

Among the worst offenders were Sainsbury’s Basics Cottage Pie (300g) and The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Cottage Pie (400g), with salt up 186% and 93% respectively since 2007.

The CASH study also highlighted two Tesco own-label products – White Stay Fresh Medium Sliced Bread (up 33% to 0.8g of salt per 100g) and Everyday Value Tomato Soup (50% increase to 0.6g per 100g).

However, Sainsbury’s pointed out all products mentioned in the CASH report met the government’s 2017 salt targets – except own-label cornflakes, which were being redeveloped. Salt reduction was part of the retailer’s “ongoing programme of reformulation”, a spokeswoman claimed.

The Co-op claimed 87% of its own-brand products already met the 2017 salt targets and stressed it was committed to “making it easier for customers to make healthier choices through a number of initiatives including reformulating products and clear, honest labelling”.

Tesco said its food was clearly labelled with salt content, allowing customers to make informed choices. “We’ve also done lots of work to make the food on our shelves healthier and have removed thousands of tonnes of salt from the food we sell,” said a spokeswoman.

Nevertheless, Sonia Pombo, CASH campaign manager, said the figures showed the government’s public health responsibility deal had “clearly not worked”, adding that “many food manufacturers initially made a concerted effort to reduce the salt in their products, others are now failing to do so and in turn putting the nation’s health at risk.” Pombo called for responsibility on health to be handed back to an “independent agency”.

The Salt Association welcomed the debate on dietary salt intake, but stressed the need for better scientific understanding of salt’s effect on the human body.

The current 6g RDA had not been reviewed since being set in 1994, said the industry body. “The responsibility for nutritional guidelines should be in the hands of an independent agency, but for that to happen a fundamental review of the science is needed.”