Checking nutrition labels and choosing lower salt foods
The Basics
“Remember that many products only list the sodium content – to work out the salt content of a food product, multiply the sodium content by 2.5”, says dietitian, Tony Hirving.
“A 300g ready-made meal containing 2.5g salt per 100g contains 7.5g of salt in the whole 300g meal – that’s 1.5g more than the 6g the government recommends we eat each day”.
“Also, it’s worth checking the salt/sodium content of ‘healthier option’ food items. It may not be lower in this mineral than the regular version. And the sodium content of ‘light’ products can be higher than regular versions”.
This is a LOT of salt: 1.5g salt or more per 100g (0.5g sodium or more per 100g)
This is a LITTLE salt: 0.3 salt or less per 100g (0.1g sodium or less per 100g)
Common Myths and Misconceptions
- “All food labels are regulated by law”. There are no legal definitions for claims such as 'reduced-sodium' on food labelling. Although the law says food-labelling claims should not be misleading, you need to read these labels with a suspicious eye and check the nutrition information panel to see how much sodium the product actually contains.
Tips and Tricks
- Look for reduced salt products, but do check nutrition information labels to be sure you are buying the lowest salt version available.
- The food label might tell you how much sodium/salt is in the whole pack or in part of the pack. Remember that the serving size listed on the label may be smaller than the amount you will actually eat, so take this into account when estimating your salt intake from that product.
- The following ingredients or descriptions indicate a source of sodium: baking powder, baking soda, monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium, Na, bicarbonate of soda, brine, monosodium, cured, smoked, kippered and self-raisin.