Thaindian News

London, Dec 6 (ANI): A study by health campaigners has found that the high level of salt in Sunday roasts is putting Britons at risk of suffering from deadly heart disease and strokes.

A survey of 600 roast lunches in supermarkets and pub chains has found that they can contain up to one and a half times the maximum recommended adult daily intake of salt.

Professor Graham MacGregor, a leading expert in cardiovascular medicine and chairman of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), which carried out the research, said high intake of salt raises blood pressure.

“Sunday lunch is an iconic British meal but filling it with salt puts both adults and children at risk of developing high blood pressure,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“I don’t want supermarkets and restaurants to add the unnecessary amounts of salt still being hidden in our food,” he stated.

He said eating one less gram of salt per day would save 6,000 lives a year.

The study found that if the saltiest ingredients were used to make a Sunday lunch it would add up to 9.6g per person, 60 percent higher than an adult’s recommended daily maximum.

But Peter Sherratt, of the Salt Association, which represents the salt industry, described CASH as “extremists”, and said that there is not enough evidence to prove a link between salt and high blood pressure.

Julian Hunt, director of communications at the Food and Drink Federation said the research is doing a huge disservice to a great British tradition.

“The Sunday roast is a time when families sit together to enjoy a hearty and healthy meal compiled from a wide range of fresh ingredients,” Hunt said.

Adding: “British food manufacturers are leading the world when it comes to changing the recipes of their products to contain less salt. Those who want a lower salt option can find one simply by looking at the labels.” (ANI)