Survey Says Over 25% of Bread Loaves in Brit Supermarkets Loaded With High Salt Levels

More than a quarter of all loaves of bread available in supermarkets in Britain contain salt levels equal to a bag of salted crisps, a new survey revealed.

The Campaign for Action on Salt and Health (Cash) analyzed samples of 300 of the popular brands of bread available in the supermarkets and found that more than one in four loaves of bread contained at least half a gram of salt while a loaf of "pain de campagne" bread available in upmarket chain Paul had 2.83g of salt per 100g which is higher than the salt levels found in sea water.

Cash said that while the salt levels in bread have fallen by 40 percent over the past decade, they are still high. The latest report comes after the Department of Health revealed that bread accounted for the biggest source of salt in the daily lives with nearly a fifth of the recommended salt intake levels.

"It is frankly outrageous that bread still contains so much salt. The Department of Health needs to ensure that all bread is clearly labelled and that all manufacturers reduce the salt of bread to less that the salt target of 1g per 100g. It is the very high levels of salt that is hidden in everyday food, such as bread, that puts up both adults' and children's blood pressure", Cash chairman Prof Graham MacGregor said.

Source: Medindia