Pressure On Over Salty Pastries

A local medical charity has called for better food labelling after a survey found that a coffee and pastry can contain as much salt as two rashers of bacon.

Millions of working people have abandoned the homemade breakfast in favour of items bought in coffee bars.

But a study by 'Consensus Action on Salt and Health' (CASH) has found that many sweet items have as much salt as savoury foods.

Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke said many people will be shocked to discover that the popular American-style muffins on sale at many coffee chains have the salt content of a packet of crisps.

One even rivalled the content of three packets.

The charity's Chief Executive, Andrew Dougal, (pictured) said: "It's difficult enough for people to assess the amount of hidden salt in savoury foods being sold at the supermarket, but most of us would never even consider that sweet items could contain such high levels.

"The problem is that salt content of foods is rarely, if ever, displayed in coffee shops. It's now time for that to change," he said, estimating that more than 800 lives a year could be saved in Northern Ireland if people halved their intake of salt, which contributes to raised blood pressure - a risk factor for both stroke and heart attack.

(BMcC)