Own-brand cheeses contain less salt, new study claims

Halloumi and imported blue cheese contain the highest salt levels, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ Open

‘Big brands need to stop dragging their heels and catch up with the supermarkets now,’ says report co-author

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A new study has discovered large variations in salt content between the same types of cheeses, with supermarkets’ own-brand cheddars containing lower salt levels than their branded counterparts.

Published in the journal BMJ Open, the research examined 612 cheeses in total.

Researchers found that halloumi and imported blue cheese contain the highest amount of salt, while cottage cheese has the lowest.

According to the report’s authors: “These findings demonstrate that much larger reductions in the amount of salt added to cheese could be made and much more challenging targets need to be set.”

The researchers added that a having a diet high in salt has been linked to numerous adverse health affects including high blood pressure – whichincreases a person’s risk of strokes, heart attacks and heart failure – and an increased risk
of stomach cancer and obesity.

Study co-author Dr Kawther Hashem, from Queen Mary University of London, and a nutritionist for the campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), said: “These big brands need to stop dragging their heels and catch up with the supermarkets now, or they will be left behind.”

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