Almost one in four shop-bought soups exceed Government salt targets – study

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, according to a study.

Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS) found that 48% of branded soups exceeded the maximum salt target versus just 6% of supermarket own-label alternatives.

The group analysed 481 ready-to-eat soups sold across major UK retailers and found that 23% still exceed the Government’s voluntary maximum salt target of 0.59g per 100g, which should have been met by the end of 2024.

The saltiest product was Soup Head Tom Yum Soup, containing 1.01g of salt per 100g or 3.03g in a 300g pack – 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 the 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%) would receive a red warning for high salt content, while just 11 products (2%) would achieve a green label.

Across the range, the average serving offered 1.43g of salt, while 51 products (11%) 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.”

Heinz said: “We’ve been reducing the amount of salt in our products since the mid-1980s and are proud to offer a wide variety of soups that cater to different dietary needs.

“This includes the introduction of our Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup which contains 25% less salt than our classic recipe.

“Reducing sodium without compromising on taste and quality is a complex process and there’s still work to be done. We continue to invest in technical solutions that prioritise nutrition, taste and quality.”

Daylesford said: “The salt content figure of 1g per 100g for Daylesford Minestrone soup cited in this report was based on a packaging misprint that has been independently verified as incorrect.

“Laboratory analysis confirms the actual salt content is 0.67g per 100g – 33% lower than reported. Corrected packaging is already in production. We regret this error and are committed to accurate nutritional labelling.”

British Retail Consortium assistant director of food Andrea Martinez Inchausti said: “The retail industry is fully committed to helping improve the health of their customers with the report showing that retailers are leading the way on product reformulation.

“It is, of course, important to strike a balance between diminishing salt levels while also retaining the quality and taste which consumers expect. The clear labelling packaging ensures that consumers are fully aware of the salt content in the products they buy.”