A new investigation by Action on Salt has revealed that more than half of the ready meals sold in the UK are excessively high in salt. After surveying 1,511 products from 11 major retailers, the non-profit organisation is calling for urgent government action to enforce stricter, mandatory limits on salt.
The study found that 56% of ready meals sold in supermarkets are high in salt, 42% are high in saturated fat, and 71% are low in fibre, which poses a “significant public health risk”.
Action on Salt is demanding urgent government action, citing the failure of voluntary measures to meaningfully improve the nutritional quality of convenience foods. The researchers are calling for:
- Revitalisation of the national salt reduction programme as a public health priority
- Immediate review of the outdated 2024 salt reduction targets
- Setting new, stricter, mandatory salt targets with financial penalties on food businesses for non-compliance
An open letter, co-signed by 28 experts and major health charities, has also been delivered today (13 May) to the minister for public health & prevention, Ashley Dalton MP, urging for tougher regulation and an end to “voluntary inaction”.
Sonia Pombo, Head of Impact and Research at Action on Salt, commented: “The food industry has had over two decades to reduce salt in our food – and they’ve failed to deliver. Worse still, the government has let them get away with it by relying on weak, voluntary targets that do little to improve the nutritional quality of food. With over half of ready meals found to be unacceptably high in salt, consumers’ health are being put at serious risk, often without realising it. It should not be this hard to eat healthily. We now need the government to stop pandering to industry interests and introduce mandatory salt reduction targets with real consequences for non-compliance. Enough is enough.”
Dr Pauline Swift – Chair of Blood Pressure UK, added: “This new survey is a stark wake-up call. Excess salt in our food is directly linked to raised blood pressure – the biggest risk factor for strokes, heart disease and kidney disease – all of which are completely avoidable. Given it is estimated that around 4.2 million adults in England are living with undiagnosed high blood pressure, the government must act now to enforce stronger salt reduction targets and protect public health before even more lives are needlessly lost.”
NAM Implications:
- Better if this momentum came from suppliers and retailers.
- i.e. by the time the authorities take action, much damage will have been done…
- A rapid and excuse-free response is now required…
- …and then some.
