Salt content of UK cheese ‘still unhealthily high’

The salt content of cheese sold in UK supermarkets remains overly high, creating a potential health risk, according to a new study.

Published by BMJ Open, the research analysed the salt content of 612 different cheeses produced in the UK or imported from overseas and sold in the seven major supermarket chains in 2012.

In general, salt content was high, averaging 1.7 g per 100 g of cheese. Salt levels tended to vary widely, even within the same type of cheese, despite many products meeting the recommended government targets on salt reduction.

Since salt reduction is widely recognised to be one of the most cost effective ways of improving public health, this could highlight a need for government action.

The authors said: "The results indicate that much larger reductions in the amount of salt added to cheese could be made, and more challenging targets need to be set."

A new national Salt Strategy was launched by the government last year to encourage more food manufacturers to lower the salt content of their produce in order to aid this national health drive.