Supermarket meal deals have more salt than a McDonald’s Big Mac and fries, study finds

New research from Action on Salt has revealed a whopping 70 per cent of ‘meal deal’ snacks sold on the high street are dangerously high in saturated fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) – with some contributing to a third of an adult’s maximum daily recommended salt intake.

Marking Salt Awareness Week (14-20 March), Action on Salt has demanded the government to introduce mandatory comprehensive salt reduction targets with penalties for those food companies who fail to comply.

Furthermore, the group of experts based at Queen Mary University of London is calling on retailers to only offer healthier (non-HFSS) snacks as part of all meal deals.

According the research, each of the eight stores surveyed selling a chicken sandwich, wrap or ‘sub’ as part of their meal deal combo were saltier than a McDonald’s Big Mac and fries' (2.92g)!

“Without doubt, meal deals are hugely popular especially amongst the nation’s workforce looking for a convenient and ‘value for money’ lunch. Yet unbeknown to many consumers, these meal combos and snacks are often exceedingly high in salt which means an adult can consume their maximum daily recommended salt intake in just one meal without even knowing it,” Sheena Bhageerutty, nutritionist at Action on Salt, said.

“Rather than trying to ‘upsell’ us on salt, saturated fat and sugar, CEOs of food retailers must act more responsibly by setting strict internal standards including only healthier snack options as part of the ‘deal’.”

The research, which analysed all snack products included as part of meal deals across eight retailers, exposed Asda and Subway as the worst offenders providing the highest proportion (82%) of unhealthy snacks (HFSS) in their meal deal promotions.

While no store stands out as leaders in healthier snack options within meal deal promotions, Sainsbury’s ranked more favourably, offering a higher proportion of non-HFSS snacks with a greater overall compliance to the salt reduction targets.

Action on Salt said the findings are deeply concerning, given that salt raises blood pressure and causes strokes and heart attacks, the biggest causes of death in the UK, and that one in three buy a meal deal at least twice a week.

“Despite the overwhelming impact on health, many companies appear to have forgotten that salt is a killer. These findings are well and truly shocking, especially given the vast amount of people that purchase these meal deals on a regular basis,” Sonia Pombo, campaign manager for Action on Salt, said.

“In order to shift our food choices to healthier products, we need food companies to provide us with better, healthier and more affordable options. Now is the time for the food industry to act and improve the nutritional quality of the foods they sell, and if they can’t do it voluntarily, then the government must step in and legislate, for the benefit of our health.”