Salt content of processed food products available in Dh. Kudahuvadhoo, Maldives

Abstract

Some of the processed food are junk food which are unhealthy when consumed in excess amount. Commonly used junk food include fast food, chips, candy, gum, sweets, desserts as well as fizzy drinks. These food types consist of salt, sugar, fat and are high in calories. Junk food are easy to make and are easily accessible for consumption making this the main reason people use junk food even though it is not healthy. Consumption of salty junk food regularly increases the amount of salt intake which is undesirable for a healthy life. High amount of salt intake increases blood pressure and other adverse effect to health. A market survey at Dh. Kudahuvadhoo grocery shops (5 shops) was conducted. A convenient sampling was used to collect 30 processed food products. Nutritional values of these products were recorded and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016. The salt levels in the products were compared to that of WHO recommended level of salt (< 5g/day). The highest amount of salt among the 30 items was found in Amexicana flour tortillas (2.6g salts per 100g). Cotton candy had zero amount of salt. The mean value of salt in the 30 types of food products was 0.324 g. The salt content processed food products varied, by types, production company, and the country of the production. Although the amount of salt was less than the WHO recommendation level in the selected junk food, daily meals, and intake in high quantity may lead to exceed the WHO recommended level of salt intake.