Salt: seek out the hidden sources
28 June 2002
If you're trying to cut down on the amount of salt in your diet, you may have to give up the tomato juice, according to the latest figures from the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA).
Regular tomato juice contains 287 mg sodium per 100 mL, which is even saltier than hot chips from the local fish and chip shop.
'We only need 920-2300 mg a day, which is the equivalent of about one teaspoon. Most people exceed that,' an ANZFA spokeswoman said.
'We get about 75 per cent of our salt intake from commercial foods, 15 per cent added at the table or during cooking, and 10 per cent occurs naturally in food.'
The food authority released details of the sodium content of 4500 foods on its website earlier this month. Other high-salt items on the ANZFA database include pickled plums and chocolate cake mix.
In bread, sodium concentrations range from 509 mg per 100 g in shop-bought white bread, to 2 mg/100 g in homemade white bread. Shop-bought wholemeal loaves contained 486 mg/100 g.
Pork crackling recorded the highest amounts of sodium among the meats, while stewed or braised lamb liver recorded the lowest.
Of the alcoholic beverages, gin and whisky had the lowest salt content, followed by brandy, rum and rice wine.
Last Reviewed: 27 June 2002
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 28/6/02
