Packaged foods on the Mexican market found to be high in sodium

Nieto C et al conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate how many products on the Mexican market met sodium benchmark targets. Three benchmark targets were compared against;  targets set by the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (UK FSA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Mexican Commission for the Protection of Health Risks (COFEPRIS).

Data was collected on 2248 packaged food products, and analysed in food groups such as meat products, bread/breakfast cereals/cheese, butter/fat spreads, soups/pizzas/crisps and snacks and cakes/biscuits/pasta. Overall 61% of the processed food complied with the COFEPRIS targets whereas only 32% complied with the UK FSA targets.

Authors concluded that this assessment has provided a crucial baseline measure for ongoing monitoring of salt content in the food supply in Mexico.

Read the article here.