Consumer advocates Too much salt in children's sausage

Foodwatch criticizes the high salt content in children's sausage

18.02.2011

Kinderwurst is usually considered by the manufacturers as one „healthy sausage“ specially touted for children. The consumer protection organization „Food Watch“ However, the excessive salt content in individual types of sausage warns. The salt content is too high for children.

Consumer advocates of the food platform „Food Watch“ have criticized the sometimes too high salt content in children's sausage products. The initiative criticized the "Ferdi Fuchs mini sausages" from Stockmeyer. These sausages are advertised that they „healthy“ are. Since the salt content is too high, here are the nutritional needs of children with the product is not sufficiently adapted, as Foodwatch announced today in Berlin.

Children's sausage a daily contribution to healthy eating?
On the sausages of „Ferdi Fuchs“ is advertised on the pack that the sausage is a "daily contribution to the healthy diet". However, the children's sausage contains two grams of salt per 100 grams of sausage. Thus, the average salt content is about as high as for sausages for adults. But children have a much lower salt requirement than adults. The organization speaks of one in this context „misnomer“ of the manufacturer. Foodwatch spokeswoman Anne Markwardt said, „Selling parents such a salty product as a daily contribution to a healthy diet quickly turns out to be misleading. ".

High salt intake with health consequences
Too much salt can have lasting health consequences for the children. People who consume too much salt in their childhood may later experience hypertension (high blood pressure). This, in turn, causes secondary diseases such as heart attack, kidney damage or stroke. The consumer advocates emphasized in this context that not only the sausages from Stockmeyer had too high a salt content. Also with other manufacturers of special children's sausage products appropriate values ​​could be proven. Even in these cases, the products are considered „healthy for children“ advertised, although the salt content for children is much too high. Consequently, the products of "Böklunder" or "Reinert" should also be affected. The initiative therefore demands of the manufacturers: "Instead of adding artificial vitamins, the manufacturers should rather think about a salt reduction."

Manufacturer rejects criticism
The food manufacturer „Stockmeyer“ rejects the criticism of the sausage products. The company pointed out that children would need to eat up to five sausages at a time to receive the salt value of 2 grams per hundred grams of sausage given by Foodwatch. Moreover, it is at the „Ferdi Fuchs“ Packaging for so-called „stock packaging“, which can be used over a longer period of time.

Children eat too much salt
Foodwatch refers in its criticism to scientific evidence, after a high salt intake already in childhood leads to elevated blood pressure levels. Studies in the US found that blood pressure in children has risen massively over the last decade. The main reasons for this are the increasing lack of exercise, a high-fat diet and just too high salt consumption. Therefore, parents should be careful to keep the amount of table salt in the daily diet as low as possible. In addition, children should move a lot and eat mainly Wholefood. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) points out that the proportion of saline per day may not exceed a maximum value of six grams. Two grams per day, however, should not be exceeded, since the thirst is stopped and threatens an inner dehydration.

Foodwatch campaign „fobbed“
Consumer advocates recently launched a campaign called „fobbed“. Foodwatch wants consumers „misleading advertising practices of food manufacturers“ to warn. At regular intervals, products are examined in more detail and compared with the advertising promise on the packaging. Afterwards the tested food will be presented on the website. (Sb)

Picture credits: Alfred Heiler