The takeaway pizzas with up to 3 days’ worth of salt

TAKEAWAY pizzas are a potential health hazard as they contain as much as three times the recommended daily intake of salt, a study has found.

Campaigners are calling on the Government to introduce a tax on salt so the food industry is incentivised to reduce the amount they use.

They accuse firms of showing a ‘complete disregard for public health’ and of ‘making a mockery’ of Britain’s voluntary reformulation scheme after some pizzas were found to have got saltier in recent years.

Salt is a major cause of elevated blood pressure – the world’s biggest killer.

High blood pressure – or hypertension – is responsible for 60 per cent of strokes and 50 per cent of heart disease.

Researchers from campaign group Action on Salt, based at Queen Mary University of London, analysed the salt content of 1,387 pizzas sold by supermarkets, restaurants and takeaways.

Adults are advised to eat no more than 6g of salt per day but half of the pizzas studied contained more than this, rising to two in three of those sold by restaurants and takeaways. The saltiest was Domino’s Sizzler Standard Mozzarella Stuffed Crust Medium Pizza, which contained 21.38g – more than three days’ worth of salt in one meal.

This makes it saltier than seawater and as salty as threeandahalf jars of olives.

Takeaway pizzas typically contained more than double the amount of salt than those bought from supermarkets. The saltiest supermarket pizza was The Pizza Company’s Pepperoni Party, with 9.2g – more than three McDonald’s Big Macs and fries.

Despite a government plan to reduce salt in Britons’ diets, 43 per cent of restaurant and takeaway pizzas still exceed reduction targets, as do 14 per cent of those sold in supermarkets. Many takeaway and restaurant pizzas now have more salt than they did in 2014, when Action on Salt last analysed them.

Domino’s Tandoori Hot Standard Mozzarella Thin & Crispy Crust contains 14.36g of salt, almost triple the 5.3g it had nine years ago.

Some companies have reduced salt content, though, with Goodfella’s, Pizza Express (retail) and Dr Oetker cutting their levels by 29 per cent, 24 per cent and 22 per cent respectively.

Action on Salt is now urging Health Secretary Steve Barclay and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to draw up legislation for a levy on salt, similar to the sugary drinks tax.

Action on Salt’s Sonia Pombo said: ‘These companies are showing a complete disregard for public health and are making a mockery of our voluntary reformulation programme.’