Beware of savoury snacks that are high in sodium (salt) content.
For they are potentially harmful to health if consumed habitally with indulgence.
The Consumer Council, in collaboration with the Centre for Food Safety, today (March 16) issued a test report on 80 different snacks of salty flavour in the market.
The results affirmed, with little surprise, that the majority of these snacks (nearly 60%) contained high levels of sodium.
A food product is deemed high in sodium if it contains more than 600mg sodium (or 1.5g salt) per 100g of the food, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of the UK.
High dietary intake of sodium is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke.
High blood pressure is common in Hong Kong population. A Department of Health and University of Hong Kong survey in 2003/04 indicated that 27.2% of the local population (aged 15 and above) suffered from hypertension.
Top on the list of sodium content was a sample of preserved prune（話梅）with 13,000mg/100g edible portion - more than 20 times the high level stipulated by the UK FSA.
This means one piece of this preserved prune (edible portion 0.88g) will give you 114mg sodium. And taking three pieces in one day will amount to 342mg or nearly 20% of the WHO/FAO recommended daily sodium limit of 2,000mg (approximately 5g salt).
In the test, in addition to the preserved prune, high sodium was found in some nuts and seafood products.
For example, a peanut sample contained 2,200mg sodium per package (200g), the consumption of one whole pack will have already exceeded the recommended daily intake limit.
Similarly, a dried squid sample contained 1,938mg sodium per package (102g).
Included in the test were three samples of imitation shark's fin soup（碗仔翅） sourced from fast food outlets. A bowl of the sample (320g in weight) with the highest amount of sodium was found to contain 1,792mg sodium or nearly 90% of the recommended daily intake limit.
Consumers should bear in mind that sodium or salt is commonly present in our daily meals.
High sodium content can be found in processed food such as pizza, ham, cheese and seasonings (e.g. soy sauce and oyster sauce).
Therefore, in the interest of health, every effort should be taken to avoid excessive intake of sodium. When shopping for prepackaged food, read the nutrition label for their content on sodium. Of the 67 (out of 80) prepackaged food samples, 42 (63%) of them had sodium content listed on the nutrition label.
No samples bore a "low sodium" or "low salt" claim. Under the forthcoming nutrition labelling Amendment Regulation, any food product bearing a "low sodium" claim must not contain more than 120mg sodium per 100g or 100ml of food.
Snacks that taste less salty are not necessarily lower in sodium. They may be added with more sugars to achieve the effect but food high in sugars is equally undesirable.
Consumers are advised to maintain a balanced diet taking more fresh vegetables and fruits in replacement of savoury snacks.
Avoid food high in sodium (salt), sugars and fat. Consume less processed food such as canned and preserved food.
Use less salt and seasoning with high sodium in cooking meals. Try to taste the food first before adding table salt or seasoning out of habit.
Make use of the new legislative requirement on mandatory nutrition labelling, due to come into force in July next year; always read the label on prepackaged foods, and choose those with less sodium (salt), sugars and fat.
For a full comparison of the 80 snack samples on their content of sodium, sugars, trans fat, saturated fat, total fat and energy, consumers can refer to this (March) issue of CHOICE.
Enjoy your snacks in moderation. Eat healthy to stay healthy.
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