How much sodium and salt are we eating?
Salt is also called sodium chloride and it is the sodium in salt that can be bad for your health.
Sodium in food
Most of the sodium in our food comes from sodium chloride (salt), which is added to foods for flavour and as a preservative. Sodium also occurs naturally in almost all foods and can be present in processed foods due to use of some food additives, for example, sodium bicarbonate used as a raising agent in cakes and biscuits.
What are the recommended sodium intakes?
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that Australian adults consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (equivalent to about 6,000 mg (6 g) of salt). The NHMRC Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults recommend choosing foods low in salt. ( http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/n33.pdf )
How much sodium do Australians eat?
Using our most recent analytical data, FSANZ has estimated current sodium intakes from salt for the Australian population. These results show that Australians aged 2 years and older consume an average of 2,150 mg of sodium per day from an average of 5,500 mg of salt (5.5 g). Around 80% of this would be from processed foods and 20% from salt used at the table or in home cooking. This estimate does not include the smaller amounts of sodium coming from naturally occurring sodium or sodium-containing food additives. Some Australians (34%) are estimated to consume sodium at levels above that recommended from salt alone.
Recent media reports suggest that Australians regularly consumed more than 40,000 mg (40 g) salt a day. In contrast, FSANZ’s estimates showed that 95% of Australians consume less than 8,500 mg (8.5 g) of salt each day. The highest daily salt consumption calculated for an individual was 26,000 mg (26 g).
The foods that contribute the most to Australians’ salt consumption are bread and bread rolls (25%), meat, poultry & game products and dishes, including processed meat (21%), cereal products and cereal based dishes (e.g. biscuits and pizza) (17%), savoury sauces and condiments (8%) and cheese (5%). Breakfast cereals contribute approximately 4% of total salt consumption from processed foods and dried soup mixes less than 3%.
Is sodium identified on food labels?
Salt and sodium-containing additives must be identified in the Ingredients List on food labels. The total sodium content of packaged foods (including naturally occurring sodium, sodium from additives and added salt) must also be declared on the Nutrition Information Panel on the food label. Many fast food companies also provide this information at point of sale, eg on leaflets, posters, wrappers etc.
How much sodium is in Australian foods?
FSANZ monitors the levels of sodium in the Australian food supply. Sodium analysis was included in monitoring programs for 2006 and 2008 and also in a recent national survey. In these surveys, the foods found to contain the highest levels of sodium per 100 g were: potato crisps, processed meat and meat products including sausages, meat pies, sausage rolls and chicken nuggets, cheese and pizza. Other high sodium foods include a range of sauces, spreads and condiments, generally used in small serving sizes.
The food industry has been reducing salt in various products to reduce sodium levels. Survey results indicate that levels of sodium in some processed foods have declined in recent years. For example, sodium levels in margarine, savoury biscuits, soup and mayonnaise were lower compared to previous studies. Average sodium values for various foods tested in recent FSANZ programs are presented in the table below. The amount of sodium in different brands will vary around this average.
Food | Sodium | Serving size | Sodium | |
| (mg per 100 g ) | (g) | (mg per serve) | |
Beef Sausage* | 790 | 70 | (1 sausage) | 553 |
Breakfast cereal | 480 | 30 | ( 1 small bowl) | 144 |
Butter | 780 | 7 | (1 foil packet) | 55 |
Cheddar cheese | 730 | 20 | (1 slice) | 146 |
Chicken breast* | 43 | 160 | (1 cooked) | 69 |
Hamburger* | 440 | 200 | (1 large) | 880 |
Milk (full fat) | 36 | 258 | (1 cup) | 93 |
Pizza* | 550 | 130 | (1/4 large pizza) | 715 |
Potato crisps (salt & vinegar flavour) | 1,180 | 45 | (small packet) | 531 |
Potato crisps (other flavour) | 580 | 45 | (small packet) | 261 |
White bread | 450 | 30 | (1 slice) | 135 |
Yeast spread | 3,000 | 6 | (1 tsp) | 180 |
*cooked
How can I reduce my sodium intake?
Too much sodium in the diet has been linked with increased blood pressure and hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack. Consumers concerned about their sodium intake should check the Nutrition Information Panel on food labels for the total sodium concentration per 100 g of food and compare the labels of like foods to select those with low or reduced sodium amounts. Some foods are labelled as ‘low salt’ foods. A ‘low salt’ food is defined by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as a food with a sodium concentration of no more than 120 mg per 100 g. Other claims that assist with choice of lower sodium foods include reduced salt/ sodium, salt / sodium free, and no added salt/sodium. Reduced salt means the food must have a limited amount of sodium and have at least 25% less salt/sodium than the comparative reference food. Sodium intake can also be reduced by limiting use of salt in the home, for example, by adding less salt to food during and after cooking.