Salt labelling confuses public, study suggests

Researchers tested people's knowledge of the salt content of Watties baked beans. File picture / Paul Estcourt

Researchers are calling for accurate nutritional information about salt content on food packaging after a survey showed almost all participants had no idea how much salt they were eating.

The study, printed in the New Zealand Medical Journal, said the sodium information on packaged food in New Zealand is not easily understood by the target population, and is "of little use".

The study's authors, Andrew Gilbey of Massey University and Sarah Fifield, said consumers tend to exceed the recommended salt intake of 6 grams a day.

This is partly because information about sodium and salt levels is misunderstood, they said.

The survey, with 226 participants, showed just over 98 per cent were unable to identify the amount of salt present in the test food -- a can of Watties Baked Beans.

The study also showed that more than 58 per cent of survey participants believed that salt and sodium were interchangable terms, which was a problem as most food packaging only gave the sodium content.

"Indeed, unless consumers are aware that 1000mg of sodium is equivalent to approximately 2500mg of salt . . . then they would underestimate the amount of salt in any given food product by a factor of approximately 2.5."

The study said the authors recommend that "food labelling should include the amount of salt (not sodium) per serving and per 100g and at least a mention of the consensus maximum of, say, 6g daily for adults".

The study showed that 67 per cent of participants claimed they cared about the amount of salt in their diet.

- NZPA