The healthy soup saltier than a Big Mac and fries

SALT levels in some soups, cheese and ready meals have gone up despite health warnings, according to research out today.

Eating too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, strokes and thousands of premature deaths a year.

But supermarkets and food firms do not appear to be keeping promises to change recipes.

Research by campaigners Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) found nine out of 20 soups surveyed showed an increase in salt between 2010 and 2016, while two stayed the same.

The saltiest was Baxters vegetarian Italian tomato and basil with 3.5g salt per 400g serving. That is more than a McDonald’s Big Mac and large fries.

Almost half of the soups contained as much salt as two slices of Domino’s cheese and tomato pizza.

Those with some of the biggest increases were Tesco Everyday Value tomato (up from 1.6g to 2.4g per 400g serving), Baxters Favourites cream of tomato (up from 2g to 2.8g) and Sainsbury’s Basics cream of tomato soup (up from 1.92g to 2.4g).

Adults are advised to consume a maximum of 6g of salt a day, which is around a teaspoon.

CASH surveyed 201 cheddar cheeses in 2016 and compared the results with 2012.

This revealed a 16 per cent increase in salt content in four years for the Sainsbury’s lighter mature British cheese, with the figure up to 1.98g per 100g.

Some of the biggest increases were in cottage pie ready meals, where the 2016 figures were compared against 2007. Salt in a 300g Sainsbury’s Basics cottage pie went up from 0.5g per serving to 1.43g – an 186 per cent rise.

CASH said efforts to cut salt levels have stalled since responsibility for this area was taken away from the Food Standards Agency by the Government in 2010 and moved to the Department of Health.

The change led to the introduction of industry-led voluntary agreements which have apparently failed to deliver any substantial progress.

Heart doctor Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of CASH, said: ‘It’s imperative that responsibility for nutrition be handed back to an independent agency.’

The British Retail Consortium, which speaks for supermarkets, said: ‘As an industry we are continuing to work with the Government, supply chain partners and NGOs to help consumers make healthier choices by reformulating products, providing clear nutrition labelling and offering appropriate portion sizes.’

The Food and Drink Federation, which speaks for manufacturers, said: ‘Food producers have continued to invest heavily to adapt the recipes of some of Britain’s biggest and best-loved brands to voluntarily reduce levels of salt in their products, without compromising on taste, quality or safety.’

Baxters did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

Ena Baxter, whose recipes helped the firm become a global success, died last year aged 90. The company, based in Fochabers, Moray, is now run by her daughter Audrey and enjoys a multi-million-pound annual turnover.