Food Services Industry Standards

Salt Addition

Background

High intakes of salt (about half of which is sodium) can cause heart disease and stroke.
The Ministry of Health recommends we eat about 460-920mg sodium (that is ¼ - ½ teaspoon of salt each day). The daily sodium intake in New Zealand is approximately four times the Adequate Intake.
Salting near the frying vat increases degradation of the frying medium.
Salt is typically available for customer addition to food service and hospitality meals.
Independent takeaway outlets have adopted a standard to use salt sachets, and QSRs are currently considering a sodium level of 170mg sodium per 100g chips.

Fastfood Outlets Survey 2007

Chips contained an average 188 mg sodium/100g chips (the range was 4 – 790 mg/100g of chips).
For an average portion of chips (437g, independent fastfood sector), this is equivalent to 820mg sodium and is near the total upper amount we are recommended to eat from all food eaten each day.

Stakeholder Feedback/Forum Discussion

Customer perception is different when buying chips at a fastfood outlet compared to a dining experience at a restaurant.

The customer is paying for a finished product and seasoning the chips is part of the process.

Chefs do not agree with salting by customer at the table as it is better to salt the chips when they are hot so that salt adheres to the chip.

Salt is cheap but providing sachets may add costs.

It is possible for industry to design equipment to standardise/limit the amount of salt added to a portion. However this could be problematic when no consistent serving size is determined.

"No sodium" or "low sodium" salt is available and could be an option.

Perhaps testing on salt absorption rate when added to chips when they are hot compared to adding the same amount when they have cooled may be advantageous.