Almost one in four shop-bought soups exceed Government salt targets, with some tins containing most of an adult’s maximum daily limit of 6g, a new study has revealed.
Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS) found that 48 per cent of branded soups surpassed the maximum salt target, a stark contrast to just 6 per cent of supermarket own-label alternatives.
The group analysed 481 ready-to-eat soups across major UK retailers, concluding that 23 per cent still fail to meet the Government’s voluntary maximum salt target of 0.59g per 100g, which was due to be met by the end of 2024.
The saltiest product identified was Soup Head Tom Yum Soup, containing 1.01g of salt per 100g or 3.03g in a 300g pack – an amount comparable to more than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers.
A spokesman for Tom Yum Soup said the brand “always continue to look at ways to better our products for the consumer, and absolutely salt is very, very high on that list or priorities, especially with this flavour”.
AoSS warned that suggested serving sizes on packs could understate actual salt intake, with many brands listing a serving as 200g (half a tin), even though consumers were likely to eat more in a single meal.
Other high-salt examples included Daylesford Organic Minestrone Soup (1g per 100g) and Baxters Luxury Cullen Skink (0.95g per 100g).
Under front-of-pack labelling guidelines, one in six soups (16 per cent ) would receive a red warning for high salt content, while just 11 products (2 per cent) would achieve a green label.
Across the range, the average serving offered 1.43g of salt, while 51 products (11 per cent) packed more than 2g in a single suggested serving – more than a third of an adult’s maximum limit for the day.
Sonia Pombo, head of impact and research at Action on Salt and Sugar, said: “Soup is often marketed as a healthy, everyday choice, but our findings show it can be a major source of hidden salt.
“Nearly one in four soups are still exceeding the maximum salt target, despite food businesses being expected to meet it more than a year ago. A full 12 months on, that level of non-compliance is disappointing and difficult to justify.
“The UK used to be a world leader on salt reduction, but progress has stalled. Government must get back on the front foot with stronger incentives to drive reformulation, and proper accountability, so the healthier option becomes the default, not the exception.”
Asda said: “We are really proud to have set a healthy sales target based on the nutrient profiling model – as observed in the data, all Asda branded soups surveyed in this report are healthy under this classification.
“Reformulation and new product development are a key part of us driving this target and salt content is a key consideration in our decision making when it comes to product formulation.”
