Sausage Sangers Under Fire in Oz for 'Extreme Salt Content'

Media reports say Australia’s famous sausage sangers are being slammed "extreme salt content".

A review of almost 200 sausages, bread and sauce products found on supermarket shelves revealed that one single sausage sandwich at a barbecue contains an adult’s daily recommended dose of salt, and double that suggested for a child.

Food Additives - Types Functions Miscellaneous Fast Foods Conclusions FAQs
A food additive is a non-nutritive substance added deliberately to any food product to improve its color, texture, flavor or shelf life

Only two per cent of the 44 sausage and hotdog brands, and 16 per cent of the 43 white bread products matched the recommended guidelines.

The researchers found that some sausages contained over three times as much salt as others.

Even dozens of tomato and barbecue sauce brands failed to make the cut.

Intake of too Much Salt Could Lead to Stomach Ulcer
Eating too much salt is known to cause high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke. Now US researchers say it can also give you an ulcer.

"That’s an incredible salt overload on its own, let alone with everything else you eat in a day," the Age quoted Dr Bruce Neal, research director at The George Institute for International Health in Sydney, as saying.

"I know it’s an icon of the Australian diet but if people knew what they were eating and what it’s doing to their health they might well think twice about it," he added.

Junk Food Ad Ban � What Parents Want
AMA is heartened that a new national survey confirms the overwhelming majority of parents support a ban on junk food advertising.

"There’s very clear evidence that eating more salt raises pushes the blood pressure up and that increases your risk of stroke and heart attack.

"You’re obviously not going to fall dead as you bite into the sausage but you’re going to pay for it down the track.

AMA Warns Of �Healthy� Food Labels Danger
AMA Vice President, Dr Choong-Siew Yong, today warned consumers could be seriously misled by proposed new food labelling regulations.

The government now needs to make salt a national health priority and lead negotiations on maximum salt targets for different products," he added.

Source-ANI
RAS/L