Everyday products such as processed meat and meat substitutes contain a lot of salt. On average, they contain almost a quarter of the daily amount of salt that is still healthy for the kidneys. Within the product types there is an enormous variation in the salt content. Enough possibilities to reduce the salt content of processed meat and meat substitutes. This is apparent from a survey by Questionmark commissioned by the Kidney Foundation.
On average, 85% of the Dutch eat too much salt. And less salt is better for your kidneys. That is why, at the beginning of 2020, the Kidney Foundation had the Questionmark research foundation investigate how healthy processed meat (such as bacon strips, smoked sausage and pre-cooked burgers) and meat substitutes are in terms of salt content. These product groups are one of the most important sources of salt intake of the Dutch. The 1365 examined processed meat products and 332 meat substitutes show that processed meat contains an average of 1.5 grams of salt per 100 grams and meat substitutes an average of 1.4 grams per 100 grams. This is almost a quarter of the daily amount of salt that is still healthy for your kidneys.
Disc of Five
Only 41 percent of all foods in the supermarket that could fall into the Wheel of Five are healthy. This was evident from the Health Superlist that appeared recently. One of the causes is the high salt content of meat and meat substitutes. Meat substitutes fit within the Wheel of Five of the Nutrition Center if they contain a maximum of 1.1 grams of salt. However, only a quarter of the meat substitutes meet this requirement. Questionmark discovered at least one salt-conscious variant within most product groups. Like a vegetarian burger with 0.7 grams of salt. This shows that it is possible. There are therefore many opportunities for industry and supermarkets to improve the supply of meat substitutes within the Wheel of Five. With meat products, there is also an enormous variation in the salt content of products within a category. For example, the salt content of a schnitzel varies between 0.15 and 1.90 grams per 100 grams. A difference of more than 90%.
