Salt content in some of the world's most popular burger, snack and cereal brands almost doubles in some countries, according to new research out today.
A survey of more than 260 popular food products available around the world from food giants such as KFC, McDonald's, Kellogg's, Nestle, Burger King and Subway found that no single product surveyed had the same salt content around the world while some displayed huge variations from one country to another.
The health lobby group World Action on Salt and Health (Wash), which completed the research, accused manufacturers of "hypocrisy" for making healthy claims about products while reinforcing worldwide health inequalities.
High salt consumption is a major risk to health, causing high blood pressure which can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD) – the world's biggest killer.
The nutritional information was obtained from companies' websites. Kellogg's All Bran contains 2.15g of salt per 100g in Canada, but only 0.65g just over the border in the United States, less than a third of the Canadian level. All Bran sold in the UK contains 1.13g.
Looking at the salt content for Kellogg's Cornflakes, the survey found that the Middle East is served the highest dose at 2.8g per 100g. The lowest salt Kellogg's Cornflakes surveyed were in Spain, with 1.75g, a gram less than the Middle East's level of 2.8g. In the UK, Kellogg's Cornflakes have 1.8g of salt per 100g.
A Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger bought in Brazil contains 3.2g of salt, while one bought in the UK contains much less – 2.1g of salt in every burger. The UK generally has low salt levels for most products, reflecting a national drive to reduce salt consumption.
Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of Wash and Professor of cardiovascular medicine, said there were "serious ethical concerns" over the variations which added to "worldwide health inequalities".
Kellogg's said: "Kellogg formulas for the same product can vary across the world, based on geographical variances in people's tastes and ingredient supplies."
