Branded processed cheese still contain levels of salt that so widely exceed the recommended amounts that they could cause high blood pressure, stomach cancer and osteoporosis, a pressure group claims.
The worst offenders were halloumi and imported blue cheeses, which contained around 2.71 g of salt per 100g, but even the humble cheddar contained 1.78 g of salt per 100g.
The recommended daily intake of salt is 6g, according to UK health agencies, although there is a worldwide initiative to reduce intake to just 5g a day.
The average salt content across a range of 612 cheeses was 1.78g per 100g, say researchers from the Consensus Action on Salt & Health.
Despite the general view that salt is bad for us and can cause high blood pressure, stomach cancer and osteoporosis, it’s a view that’s not shared by everyone. Researchers from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews have found that consuming salt doesn’t affect our health, even among people with normal to high blood pressure readings.
(Source: BMJ Open 2014; 4(8): e005051)
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