Health experts warn sausages contain high amounts of salt

THE humble sausage sandwich has a hidden snag — new research by health experts reaveals it can contain almost half an adult’s recommended daily salt intake.

THE humble sausage sandwich has a hidden snag — it can contain almost half an adult’s recommended daily salt intake.

New research by health experts reveals a massive difference in the salt content of sausages, with some more than three times saltier than others.

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The George Institute for Global Health, VicHealth and Heart Foundation Victoria are urging food manufacturers to reduce sodium levels in sausages to make it easier for families to make healthier choices.

Most adults are already consuming double the daily recommended salt intake, ­increasing their risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, kidney disease and stroke.

Tallulah and Matisse, 11, enjoy sausages in moderation. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Heart Foundation dietitian Sian Armstrong said manufacturers of processed meats, such as bacon and sliced meat, had reduced their salt content but not sausages.

A report released today, which looked at the salt content of 1000 processed meats, found sausages contained on average 1.2g — a quarter of the World Health Organisation’s guideline of 5g a day.

Coles stocks four out of the five sausages with the highest salt content. Kangaroo snags and Woolworth’s lamb snags were in the top five snags with the least sodium.

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Some sausages contain 2g of salt per serving, which is nearly half the recommended daily allowance.

The George Institute nutritionist Clare Farrand said some sausages contained 2g of salt per serving and eating two on their own would make up an entire day’s worth of salt.

A Coles spokesman said the survey was based on product nutritional information panels, which were not consistent across brands, and its labelling was based on cooked products while many other brands used values for raw product.

“Cooking leads to a reduction in water content and concentrates other ingredients,” he said. “The sodium value for cooked products will always be significantly higher than for raw products and it is not valid to compare the two.”

He also said Coles was working on new recipe formulations for sausages, including lower targets for salt content.

ALDI had one beef sausage in the top five highest salt list.

A spokesman said the supermarket was committed to reducing sodium, sugar and saturated fat in its products and would work to reforumlate or improve products if it received feedback about a product. .

VicHealth chief executive Jerril Rechter urged people to consider healthier options, such as chicken or veggie skewers.

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