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Almost one in four soups sold in supermarkets contain excessive amounts of salt, with one product found to be saltier than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers, according to new research.
Soup is often viewed as a healthy lunchtime option, but an analysis of nearly 500 tinned and chilled soups revealed that 23% exceeded recommended salt levels. The study, conducted by Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS), examined 481 products and found that 48% of branded soups and 6% of supermarket own-brand soups were above the government’s voluntary salt target of 0.59g per 100g.
The highest salt content was found in Soup Head’s Tom Yum soup, which contained 3.03g of salt in a 300g serving — more than half of an adult’s recommended daily intake and more than the salt found in two McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Other products with high salt levels included Daylesford Organic minestrone soup and Baxters Luxury Cullen Skink.
Health experts warn that excessive salt consumption raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly two million deaths globally each year are linked to high salt intake. In the UK, adults are advised to consume no more than 6g of salt per day, yet average intake in England stands at 8.4g — around 40% above the recommended limit.
The research also showed wide variation between brands. Nearly 90% of Mr Organic soups and close to 70% of Heinz products exceeded the voluntary salt limits, along with significant proportions from Daylesford Organic and Crosse & Blackwell. Under front-of-pack labelling rules, AoSS estimated that one in six soups would receive a red warning for high salt, while only 11 products would qualify for a green label.
In contrast, all soups tested from major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Co-op, Lidl and Covent Garden met or fell below the government’s salt targets.
AoSS said the findings highlighted the need for stronger government intervention. Sonia Pombo, head of impact and research at the organisation, said progress on salt reduction had stalled and called for tougher measures to encourage reformulation and ensure healthier options become the norm.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it was introducing a modernised food nutrient scoring system, tightening restrictions on junk food advertising, limiting promotional offers on unhealthy foods, and requiring mandatory reporting on healthy food sales to improve diets.
Health charities also stressed that consumers have limited control over their salt intake, as most salt is added before food reaches supermarket shelves.
Several manufacturers responded by acknowledging the findings and outlining efforts to reduce salt levels, while Daylesford Organic said the salt figure cited for one of its soups was due to a verified packaging error and confirmed that corrected labels were already in production.
