Vegan cheeses have more salt than dairy varieties
PLANT-based cheeses are saltier than dairy ones and also have high levels of saturated fat, experts are warning.
Campaign group Action on Salt analysed the nutritional content of more than 600 hard cheeses.
Despite often being seen as a healthy alternative, vegan versions had the highest average levels of salt – with 1.91g per 100g.
This compared to 1.77g for cheddar, 1.67g for double gloucester and 1.10g for wensleydale.
The research group, based at Queen Mary University of London, warned that hard cheeses were one of the top contributors to salt in our diets.
For example, a 30g portion of cheddar – the size of a matchbox – can contain more salt than a packet of crisps. Consuming too much sodium can raise blood pressure, increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes. Sonia Pombo, from Action on Salt, said: “The level of salt in some of these products is simply unnecessary and undermines the work of more responsible businesses.”
Voluntary reduction targets have been set since
2004 in an effort to cut people’s daily intake to 6g or below.
Cheddar and other hard cheeses were expected to contain an average of 1.66g of salt and a maximum of 1.90g per 100g by this year.
The cheeses analysed by Action on Salt overall had an average of 1.72g salt per 100g. The group urged ministers to “get tough” on the cheese industry.
Chairman Professor Graham MacGregor, an expert in cardiovascular medicine at QMUL, said: “Reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure to lower blood pressure and reduce the number of people suffering from strokes and heart disease and life-changing disabilities – which are completely avoidable.” But Dr Judith Bryans, from Dairy UK, claimed the analysis “falls short and demonstrates a lack of understanding of how cheese is made and why salt is added”. She said mature cheddar needs salt to inhibit growth of harmful organisms.