Processed meat and meat substitutes too salty

On average, products such as processed meat and meat substitutes contain almost a quarter of the daily amount of salt that is still healthy for the kidneys. This is shown by Questionmark's research commissioned by the Dutch Kidney Foundation.

85% of Dutch people eat too much salt. That is why the Dutch Kidney Foundation commissioned a study in early 2020 into how healthy processed meat (such as bacon strips, smoked sausage and cooked hamburgers) and meat substitutes are in terms of salt content. The 1365 processed meat products and 332 meat substitutes studied showed 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. A quarter of the daily quantity.

Questionmark did discover salt-conscious variants, such as a vegetarian burger with 0.7 grams of salt. So there are many opportunities for industry and supermarkets to improve the supply of meat substitutes. There is also an enormous variation in the salt content of meat products. For example, the salt content of a schnitzel varies between 0.15 and 1.90 grams of salt per 100 grams. A difference of more than 90%

Call to supermarket and industry

This research underlines once again that there are enough opportunities for supermarkets and industry to make the range of meat and meat substitutes less salty and therefore healthier. 

Click here for the research: Hoe zout is bewerkt vlees in de Nederlandse supermarkt? and Hoe zout zijn vleesvervangers in de Nederlandse supermarkt? (Dutch only)

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