Nearly 50% of children’s meals sold in restaurants provide at least half of a child’s daily limit for salt with some dishes containing more than a child’s entire day’s worth of salt in just one meal.
The figures from Action for Salt also found that only One in five businesses do not disclose the salt content of their meals online as the charity calls forclearer labelling on children’s menus and mandatory salt reduction targets across all food sectors.
The research , undertaken by Action on Salt for Salt Awareness Week (13th – 19th May), underpins the call for government and businesses to prioritise children’s health by introducing clearer labelling on children’s menus, with information on salt as well as fats and sugars at point of purchase and setting mandatory salt reduction targets for all food manufacturing businesses, including the OOH sector, to improve public health
Gourmet Burger Kitchen was the restaurant with the highest overall salt content in their children’s meals (averaging 3.06g per meal), whereas the worst offender for the children’s meal with the highest salt content was Bella Italia’s Larger Vegan Margherita Pizza with 4.4g salt – that’s more than double the amount of salt as a shop-bought pizza
By comparison, the restaurant with the lowest average salt content in their children’s meals was Subway
Zoe Davies, Nutritionist at Action on Salt says:
“If the Out of Home sector were as transparent as retailers, who are legally obliged to declare nutrition information on pack, surely these companies wouldn’t think twice about reducing the amount of salt in their food rather than having to declare that their meals contain more salt than a child’s entire day’s worth. Parents need to be supported in fuelling their children with nutritious food, including that of meals eaten out of home.”
Sonia Pombo, Registered Nutritionist and Campaign Lead at Action on Salt adds:
“Whilst it’s great to see some businesses making improvements in their children’s menus, it’s concerning that these efforts are not widespread, nor consistent across the sector. Generally speaking, the Out of Home sector is the ‘Wild West’ of the food industry and we simply cannot rely on all businesses to do what’s expected of them voluntarily. Implementing mandatory regulations is the only way forward if we are to level the playing field and create a more sustainable food environment for future generations.”
