This surprising supermarket staple can be more salty than crisps

If you've ever shunned crisps for a slice of toast in a bid to be healthy you may be disappointed to read about the salt content of bread.

Indeed, new research has found that three out of four loaves of sliced bread sold in UK supermarkets contain as much salt in one slice as a bag of ready salted crisp.

Action on Salt, a food research and campaign group, analysed 242 sliced breads made by 28 different companies and sold in 10 of the country’s largest supermarkets.

They said that five types of sliced bread are so salty that they contain at least 0.9g per serving of two slices, which is more salt than that found in two small bags of McDonald’s French fries, each of which has 0.44g.

There is also as much salt in two slices of Hovis soft white extra thick bread – 1.2g – as a McDonald’s hamburger.

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In 75 per cent of the bread, just one slice contained at least as much salt as the 0.34g found in a 25g bag of Walkers ready salted crisps, and some contained more than the government recommended 1.01g per 100g maximum.

Given eating too much salt raises the risk of a heart attack or stroke, the findings are pretty concerning.

Graham MacGregor, a professor of cardiovascular medicine who chairs Action on Salt, demanded urgent government action to tackle the “disgrace” of excessive salt levels.

“Reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure to lower blood pressure and reduce the number of people dying and suffering from strokes and heart disease”, he said.

“It’s therefore a disgrace that food companies continue to fill our food with so much unnecessary salt, as shown here in bread.”

This is a sad day for sandwiches.

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