Adults in England eat the same amount of salt every week as is found in 155 bags of crisps, according to analysis by a leading health charity.
The British Heart Foundation, which carried out the study, said this also equated to 22 bags a day of ready salted, lightly salted or sea salt crisps.
“Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the food we buy, such as bread, cereals, pre-made sauces and ready meals, so it’s hard to know how much salt we’re consuming,” said Dell Stanford, a senior BHF dietitian.
“This is bad news for our heart health, as eating too much salt significantly increases the risk of high blood pressure, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and other serious diseases.”
It is estimated that eating dangerously high amounts of salt contributes to at least 5,000 deaths a year in the UK from heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular conditions.
Too much salt is perilous to health because it can raise blood pressure, which is the single biggest cause of heart attacks and strokes. Three in 10 adults in the UK are thought to have hypertension – high blood pressure – but an estimated 5 million are unaware that they have it.
Health campaigners said the findings should prompt ministers to take tough action to cut the amount of salt in food, including limits on how much can be added and fines to ensure compliance.
Adults in England consume on average 8.4g of salt a day, 40% more than the government’s recommended maximum of 6g. The difference was equivalent to the salt in six bags of crisps, the BHF said. A 32-40g bag of salted crisps typically contains 0.38g of salt.
“The government must step in to make the healthy choice much easier for families by giving manufacturers an incentive to take out excessive amounts of salt from our food,” said Stanford.
Sonia Pombo, the head of impact and research at the campaign group Action on Salt, said: “Salt reduction is one of the simplest, most cost-effective actions any government can take to improve population health.
“It requires minimal behaviour change from consumers because the vast majority of salt in our diets comes from the food we buy, not what we add at the table. That means the most effective action must focus on the food industry.
“We need legally binding salt reduction targets across all food categories, with clear timelines and consequences for non-compliance, alongside fiscal levers such as a levy on foods that exceed maximum salt thresholds.”
Compulsory front-of-pack labelling would also help consumers clearly identify products high in salt, she added.
The Department of Health said it was cracking down on unhealthy food. A spokesperson added: “This government is taking strong action to tackle health problems caused by poor diet as part of our 10-year health plan, which will shift the focus of care from sickness to prevention.
“We are restricting advertising of junk food on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods, including those high in salt, and introducing mandatory reporting on healthier food sales.”
