Australians warned about salt content of sausages

Australians who love sausage sandwiches with slices of white bread and tomato sauce have been warned that the snack has almost half the recommended daily salt intake. A new study, which aimed to analysed salt content in some of the country’s top sausage brands, has found that one sausage on average contains over one-quarter of the recommended daily salt intake for an adult.

Researchers at The George Institute for Global Health looked into the salt content in over 1,000 processed meat products. They analysed sausages, ham and bacon from major supermarkets from 2010 to 2017. Findings say that sliced meats and bacon can reduce salt content. Because of this, Heart Foundation Victoria dietitian Sian Armstrong said that such is proof that manufacturers can easily make meats less salty.

But for sausages, there was no change to salt content during the seven-year period. Significant variation in salt content was also witnessed. Cleaver's Organic Beef Sausages contains the least salt (0.95g per 100g), according to the research.

Armstrong pointed out that the lack of change to the salt levels in sausages has been a huge concern for several years. Australians are being warned that eating sausages with a slice of white bread and tomato sauce means consuming about 2.35 grams of salt.

Clare Farrand, a nutritionist at the George Institute and the report's lead author, noted that there are no salt targets for sausages. She said it is a huge concern, provided their popularity and how much salt they contain.

The recommendation is for adults to eat less than five grams of salt a day. Too much consumption is directly linked to high blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for stroke and heart attack.

Amid the reported health risks, Australians are still fond of eating sausages. The average Aussie eats 44 sausages per year.

Public health experts suggest national targets to be established. They believe that such would drive manufacturers to make their processed sausages less salty. "We know that setting salt targets and regular monitoring of the food industry towards achieving the targets works," Farrand said.

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter also encouraged consumers to be more mindful of their salt content. "We understand that sausages can be a quick BBQ option, but next time why not try filling the hot plate with other healthier options like chicken or veggie skewers," The Australian reports Rechter as saying.