Changes in the sodium content of leading Australian fast‐food products between 2009 and 2012

Garcia, Julianne; Dunford, Elizabeth; Sundström, Johan; Neal, Bruce

doi:10.5694/mja13.10049

Cited by 14 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This is in line with research from other countries such as Australia, the US, New Zealand, Canada, France and the UK Johnson et al, 2010), however this study represents the first one of its kind in Latin America (using this methodology) to evaluate the salt levels found in products from fast food chains. Our findings are of public health importance as they serve as a baseline that can be used to monitor trends in salt levels over time, as well as provide a starting point to set potential future salt reduction targets for fast food, in line with what other countries have done (Garcia, Dunford, Sundstrom, & Neal, 2014;Jacobson, Havas, & McCarter, 2013). Furthermore, these findings can provide the government in Costa Rica with evidence to put pressure on fast food chains to publish regional nutritional information, as previous research has shown that the nutritional composition of food varies between countries Hobin et al, 2013;Wu & Sturm, 2013) and we observed a number of chains that did not display nutritional information for Costa Rica on their websites.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

The salt content of products from popular fast-food chains in Costa Rica

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Salt is a major determinant of population blood pressure levels. Salt intake in Costa Rica is above levels required for good health. With an increasing number of Costa Ricans visiting fast food restaurants, it is likely that fast-food is contributing to daily salt intake. Salt content data from seven popular fast food chains in Costa Rica were collected in January 2013. Products were classified into 10 categories. Mean salt content was compared between chains and categories. Statistical analysis was performed using Welch ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer HSD tests. Significant differences were found between companies; Subway products had lowest mean salt content (0.97 g/100 g; p < 0.05) while Popeye's and KFC had the highest (1.57 g/100 g; p < 0.05). Significant variations in mean salt content were observed between categories. Salads had a mean salt content of 0.45 g/100 g while sauces had 2.16 g/100 g (p < 0.05). Wide variation in salt content was also seen within food categories. Salt content in sandwiches ranged from 0.5 to 2.1 g/100 g. The high levels and wide variation in salt content of fast food products in Costa Rica suggest that salt reduction is likely to be technically feasible in many cases. With an increasing number of consumers purchasing fast foods, even small improvements in salt levels could produce important health gains.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

The salt content of products from popular fast-food chains in Costa Rica

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Participants reported a limited availability of low-sodium meal options when dining out, indicating that the restaurant and food service industry remain an important inclusion for future salt awareness and reduction programs. There is some evidence to indicate that the average sodium content of fast foods available from leading Australian chains fell, slightly, during the period 2009–2012 [41]. However, of note the average sodium content per serving remained unchanged during this period and at high levels (605 mg/serving) [41].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is some evidence to indicate that the average sodium content of fast foods available from leading Australian chains fell, slightly, during the period 2009–2012 [41]. However, of note the average sodium content per serving remained unchanged during this period and at high levels (605 mg/serving) [41]. l.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to dietary salt among adults in the state of Victoria, Australia 2015

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundInformation on consumer’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KABs) related to salt can be used to inform awareness and education campaigns and serve as a baseline measure to monitor changes in KABs over time. The aim of this study was to determine KABs related to salt intake among Victorian adults.MethodsCross-sectional survey conducted in Victorian adults aged 18–65 years. Participants were recruited from shopping centres located in Melbourne and Geelong and via online methods (Facebook and Consumer Research Panel) to complete an online survey assessing KABs related to dietary salt. Descriptive statistics (mean (SD) or n (%)) were used to report survey findings.ResultsA total of 2398 participants provided a valid survey (mean age 43 years (SD 13), 57% female). The majority (80%) were born in Australia and 63% were the main household grocery shopper. The majority (89%) were aware of the health risks associated with a high salt intake. Eighty three percent believed that Australians eat too much salt. Three quarters (75%) correctly identified salt from processed foods as being the main source of salt in the diet. Less than a third (29%) of participants believed their own individual salt intake exceeded dietary recommendations and only 28% could correctly identify the maximum recommended daily intake for salt. Just under half (46%) of participants were concerned about the amount of salt in food. Almost two thirds (61%) of participants believed that there should be laws which limit the amount of salt added to manufactured foods and 58% agreed that it was difficult to find lower salt options when eating out.ConclusionsThe findings of this study serve as a baseline assessment of KABs related to salt intake in Victorian adults and can be used to assess changes in salt related KABs over time. Public concern about salt is low as many people remain unaware of their own salt intake. An increased awareness of the excessive amount of salt consumed and increased availability of lower salt foods are likely to reduce population salt intake.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4451-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

show abstract

“…Garcia and colleagues have reported a small reduction in the sodium content of national fast food meals over a 4 year period as a response to Australian efforts to reduce dietary sodium (Garcia, Dunford, Sundstrom, & Neal, 2014 Finally, mandatory point-of-purchase calorie menu labeling at chain restaurants has been implemented in several states and localities starting with New York City in 2008 (Dumanovsky et al, 2011). Yet, overall dietary improvements of the available fast food meals (Namba, Auchincloss, Leonberg, & Wootan, 2013), and actual purchase rates of the nutritionally improved fast food meals still seem to be limited (Atkinson & Palmer, 2012;Wellard et al, 2012;Dumanovsky et al, 2011;Finkelstein, Strombotne, Chan, & Krieger, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Gender differences in purchase intentions and reasons for meal selection among fast food customers – Opportunities for healthier and more sustainable fast food

Lassen

Lehmann

Andersen³

et al. 2016

Food Quality and Preference

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Changes in the sodium content of leading Australian fast‐food products between 2009 and 2012

Abstract: The observed reduction in the sodium content of fast foods during the 4-year study period is encouraging. However, the reductions are small, and fast-food companies should be encouraged to make further and larger reductions since many products still contain high levels of sodium.

Cited by 14 publications

References 13 publications

The salt content of products from popular fast-food chains in Costa Rica

The salt content of products from popular fast-food chains in Costa Rica

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to dietary salt among adults in the state of Victoria, Australia 2015

Gender differences in purchase intentions and reasons for meal selection among fast food customers – Opportunities for healthier and more sustainable fast food

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About