Nearly Half of UK Takeaway Meals Exceed Salt Labels
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- University of Reading researchers found that 47% of 39 takeaway meals purchased from 23 locations in Reading contained more salt than their declared menu values, in a study published in PLOS One.
- Pasta dishes contained the most salt per serving on average at 7.2g — exceeding the UK's 6g recommended daily limit in a single meal — with one pasta dish reaching 11.2g of salt.
- Meat pizzas recorded the highest salt concentration at 1.6g per 100g, while curry dishes showed the widest range, varying from 2.3g to 9.4g of salt per serving.
- Fish and chips unexpectedly ranked among the lowest-salt takeout options, with chips containing just 0.2g of salt per serving because salt is typically added only after cooking and only if requested, compared to 1g per serving for chips from other outlets.
- Professor Gunter Kuhnle, who led the study, said menu salt labels are "rough guides at best, not accurate measures" because variations in preparation, ingredients, and portion sizes make precise labeling "virtually impossible."
- The World Health Organization estimates that excess salt consumption contributes to 1.8 million deaths globally each year, underscoring why the inaccuracy of menu labeling carries public-health consequences.
Why it matters: UK diners who trust menu salt labels to make informed choices could unknowingly consume up to twice the recommended daily 6g limit in a single takeaway meal, undermining public health efforts to drive down population salt intake — a lever the WHO ties to 1.8 million annual deaths worldwide.
