Most of plant-based meats in UK are ‘unnecessarily high’ in salt

A leading health specialist group is calling for the UK government to reinstate a coherent salt reduction policy while claiming that salt-content of plant-based meat products is “unnecessarily high” and more than 75 percent of such products do not meet the government’s salt reduction targets.

As per the findings by a research published by Action on Salt, plant-based meat products have significantly fewer calories, total and saturated fat and more fibre than meat equivalents. However, their salt content is found to be significantly higher than meat in five out of six product categories.

Furthermore, only two (surveyed) plant-based products would be considered low in salt with a green label on front of pack (i.e. <0.3g/100g), compared to 45 meat products.

Action on Salt claims this is the first study which has investigated the nutritional profile and overall healthiness of plant-based meat available in the UK.

Plant-based foods often have a perceived “health halo”, under which a product is automatically assumed to be healthy simply because it is vegetarian or vegan. However, this research highlights that these foods can still be high in salt.

“Plant-based meat is a healthier alternative to meat as it has fewer calories and less saturated fat. However, our data shows that salt levels in these products are unnecessarily high,” said Roberta Alessandrini, Researcher in Public Health Nutrition, Queen Mary University of London and lead author of the study. 

“Manufacturers have a vital role to play in providing consumers with products that are not only better for the planet and the animals but that are 100 percent healthy and low in salt.”

“Reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure to lower blood pressure, reduce health inequalities and prevent people from dying unnecessarily from strokes and heart disease,” said Professor Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, Chairman of Action on Salt and co-author of the study. 

“The UK Government put the food industry in charge of public health at the public’s expense. The time has now come to take back control and force the industry to act more responsibly.”