Survey prompts warning about salt levels in Chinese takeaways

Officers from West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service visited 25 randomly selected Chinese takeaways and purchased samples of chow mein and special green pepper in black bean sauce.

Five takeaways were selected from each of the areas of Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield.

Each sample was tested by the West Yorkshire Public Analyst for salt content.

Some were found to be very high in salt, the highest being 12.7g from a takeaway in Brighouse.

The next worse was 12.3g, bought from a takeaway in Leeds 11, followed by 11.7 from an outlet in Castleford and 11.5g (Todmorden), 11.2 (Wakefield city centre), 10.7 (Wakefield city centre), 10.4 (Huddersfield), 9.9 (Hebden Bridge) and 9.8 (Pontefract).

The maximum recommended salt intake per day for an adult is only 6g. The average salt level in the takeaways was 8.1g, the lowest being 3.7g for a takeaway in Huddersfield in the HD3 area. The second lowest, 3.9g, was from a takeaway in Mirfield.

The survey was conducted following a consumer complaint about a salty Chinese takeaway bought in the Keighley area in May.

A sample taken from these premises contained 13.2g of salt.

Subsequent visits to the premises by Trading Standards found that, apart from excessive use of salty pre-made sauces, the problem was at least partly due to the chef adding extra salt water.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has set salt targets for food businesses because there is evidence that excessive salt consumption increases the risk of high blood pressure and strokes.

But there is no law governing salt content, only guidelines, so takeaways do not have to change their ways.

A regional survey of salt in Chinese takeaways taken in 2006 gave an average salt content of 7.8g per portion.

A Trading Standards spokesman said: "These results are depressingly similar, indicating that the Chinese takeaway trade has done very little to address the salt issue."

West Yorkshire Trading Standards is writing to all the takeaways urging them to reduce salt levels and offering to test any reformulated recipes. However, the response level so far has been "disappointing", with only three responses.

West Yorkshire's Chief Trading Standards Officer Graham Hebblethwaite said: "All food businesses should do their duty to drive salt consumption down. The Food Standards Agency has set these salt targets for sound health reasons. By and large most manufacturers are reducing salt levels and caterers should also do their bit."

The chairman of West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee which oversees the work of Trading Standards, Coun Neil Taggart, said: "This offer of help is extended to all Chinese takeaways in West Yorkshire. Chefs should take this opportunity for the health of the county."

The Public Analyst for West Yorkshire, Dr Duncan Campbell, said: "In my opinion these foods could be considered unsafe taking into account the probable long term effects of consumption and the effect on the perception of saltiness of the rest of a person's diet."

Those working in the food industry say that the message about salt is getting through – but only slowly.

One businessman, who asked to remain anonymous but who has experience in Chinese food retailing, said food outlets would change if legislation was passed:

"The Government should concentrate on reducing smoking and drinking. When it comes to salt, it's up to people's tastes."