News: Canada’s fast food among the saltiest

Friends of mine have taken it upon themselves to eat at a McDonald’s establishment in every country they visit. Little do they know, the amount of salt in their burgers and fries is much different in the U.K. compared to Canada, reports Time.

A recent study surveyed the salt content in food products served by multinational fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Subway. Based on nutritional information from each company’s website, they found that salt content between food categories (i.e. salads and chicken fingers) varied considerably, as well as salt content of the same products between countries.

McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets for example contained 0.6g of salt per 100g in the U.K. while McNuggets in the U.S. had 2.5 times more salt at 1.6g per 100g. Canada followed close behind at 1.5g per 100g.

The study suggested that setting and enforcing salt targets and standardizing portion sizes would be an effective public health intervention.  According to Health Canada, more than half of Canadians are consuming over twice the recommended amount of sodium daily. While sodium is an essential nutrient, consuming too much could lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

Who do you think is responsible for regulating salt content in food products? Fast food chains? Product manufacturers? Governments?

Related:
‘ Quiz: How much sodium is in your food?
‘ Canada’s approach to cutting sodium
‘ The future of nutrition in fast food restaurants

‘Amy Crofts, web intern