Variability in sodium content of takeaway foods: Implications for public health and nutrition policy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Excessive sodium intake is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet accurately assessing dietary sodium remains challenging due to food composition variability and inaccurate menu labeling. While menu labels are intended to guide consumers, discrepancies between reported and actual sodium content could undermine their effectiveness.

Objective

To evaluate the accuracy of menu-declared sodium content in takeaway foods by comparing reported values with laboratory measurements.

Design

A cross-sectional analysis of 39 takeaway food items from 23 outlets in Reading, UK. Sodium content was measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and compared to menu-declared values.

Results

Sodium content varied widely ac

SUBMITTER: Mavrochefalos AI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12822929 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature