If you’re trying to cut down on your salt intake, statistics suggest you should check your bacon before you buy it as it can contain a staggering amount of salt.
Research has revealed that some supermarket bacon contains more salt than eight packets of crisps, after a review of 171 types of bacon sold in UK supermarkets.
Shockingly, 86 per cent of products surveyed were just as salty or saltier than seawater, which does not sound appetising!
It was revealed that M&S is one of the worst when it comes to salt content. The supermarket’s Select Farms British Dry Cured Unsmoked Middle Bacon has 4.2g of salt per serving, which is the equivalent to 12 packs of ready salted crisps.
Another M&S brand was their Thick Rashers Thick Cut Smoked Back Bacon, which had 2.8g of salt in two rashers. This is four times more than salt found in McDonald’s medium fries.
The survey found that the Co-op’s 8 Reduced Fat Unsmoked Bacon Medallions only came in at 1.45g per 100g, making it the best choice if you’re watching your salt intake.
Elsewhere, Lidl’s Warren and Son’s Thick Cut Back Bacon Smoked 7 Rashers contained 3g of salt per two rashers, making it just as bad as the M&S products listed above.
Tesco’s 6 Smoked Back Bacon Rashers Thick Cut came in at 2.8g, and Sainsbury’s J. James & Family Unsmoked 6 Middle Rashers contained 2.72g per two rashers.
According to NHS guidelines, adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day which is the equivalent to 1 teaspoon. So if you were to opt for a saltier bacon, that’s most of your advised intake gone in one meal.
For children, their recommend amount of salt varies depending on their age. Children between one to three years should have no more than 2g of salt a day. Those between four to six years should have no more than 3g a day, and those aged between seven and 10 years should have no more than 5g a day.
Children over 11 years should limit their intake to 6g a day, the same figure as an adult. Babies under one year shouldn’t eat much of it, as their kidneys are not fully developed to process it.
Bacon is recognised as being a high salt food. Other foods known to be high in salt include cheese, ham, prawns, salami, and smoked meat and fish.
