Meat-Free Foods Have More Salt Than Seawater

A hand pours salt from a shaker in Kaufbeuren, Germany. (Photo by Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture alliance via Getty Images)

A new survey found that some meat-free products have more salt than seawater. Action on Salt, a group that includes 24 expert scientific members based at the Queen Mary University of London, did the survey. It focused on 157 U.K. supermarket brands of meat alternatives such as vegetarian ham and bacon.

Action on Salt discovered that 28% of all the meat-free products in the survey had more salt than the maximum recommended levels in the U.K. Public Health England (PHE) created targets for salt reduction, which should have been met by the end of 2017. For example, the average target for 100 grams of cooked sausages was 550 mg of sodium. Action on Salt shares that there has not been enough action taken to meet these goals. The group explains, "This reaffirms how ineffective the voluntary salt targets are due to complete lack of monitoring and guidance from Public Health England."

The survey included both vegan and vegetarian alternatives such as meat-free burgers, ham, bacon, mince, sausages and other products from different brands. It showed that some of the products had more salt than seawater. For example, Tofurky’s Deli Slices Hickory Smoked has 3.5 grams of sodium per 100 grams of product, and Tesco’s Meat Free 8 Bacon Style Rashers has 3.2 grams of sodium per 100 grams of product. For comparison, according to Action on Salt, seawater has 1 gram of sodium per 100 grams of water.

Action on Salt mentions that the "health halo," which surrounds meat-free alternatives, can confuse consumers and make them believe all the products are healthy. They may not pay attention to sodium levels or monitor their daily intake. However, eating processed and packaged foods, even if they are vegan or vegetarian, can lead to too much salt in the diet.

No one is discouraging vegans and vegetarians from consuming meat alternatives. Instead, the group wants to make people aware of what they are eating and is asking manufacturers to reduce sodium levels, so they meet the PHE targets. Action on Salt also wants labels to be clear with an indication of portion sizes. However, convincing brands to change their recipes can be difficult because salt is a popular flavor enhancer and preservative.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating less than 5 grams of salt per day. The average person consumes nine to 12 grams of salt per day. Lowering sodium levels may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and cardiovascular disease. The WHO predicts that 2.5 million lives could be saved every year if everyone followed the recommended daily intake of sodium.

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