At The Spice Club we strive for transparency and quality in all our products. That is why we would like to inform you about a recent article from the Consumers' Association that exposes the salt levels in meal mixes. The article, written by Thomas Cammelbeeck, reveals some remarkable and worrying findings about the amount of salt in many of these popular mixes.
What are Meal Mixes?
Meal mixes are packages that often consist of one or more bags with spice mix, sauce mix and/or dressing, sometimes supplemented with extra ingredients such as rice or lasagna sheets. These mixes are intended to facilitate the preparation of a complete meal for several people. However, the content of these bags and packages is often far from healthy. They mainly consist of starch, salt and vegetable powder, with only a small percentage of herbs and spices.
Results by Brand
The Consumers' Association's research examined the complete range of meal mixes from the nine largest suppliers. The analysis of 173 different meal mixes showed that 126 packets and bags contained an unhealthy amount of salt. The mixes from Knorr (Unilever) and Maggi (Nestlé) were the saltiest, with approximately 3 grams of salt per portion. The Kruidenmix Bami Goreng from Conimex took the crown with no less than 5 grams of salt per portion. For comparison, the Voedingscentrum recommends a maximum of 2 grams of salt per main meal.
Here are the details per brand:
Brand | Number of Mixes | Salt per Serving | Mixing with Unhealthy Lots of Salt |
---|---|---|---|
Knorr | 58 | 3.0 g | 90% |
Maggie | 16 | 2.9 g | 95% |
Silvo | 9 | 2.7 g | 65% |
Verstegen | 25 | 2.4 g | 70% |
Conimex | 11 | 2.4 g | 55% |
Santa Maria | 8 | 2.3 g | 65% |
Lidl | 9 | 2.2 g | 55% |
Jumbo | 16 | 1.9 g | 50% |
Honey | 21 | 1.8 g | 50% |
Why is Too Much Salt Unhealthy?
Excessive salt consumption can lead to more than just thirst. Salt retains fluid and therefore increases blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, your kidneys have to work extra hard to remove the excess salt from your body, which can lead to kidney damage. In the Netherlands, more than 2 million people have chronic kidney damage. The Health Council advises a maximum of 6 grams of salt per day, but the average Dutch person consumes about 8 grams daily.
Easy Solution
A consumer panel of 4,857 participants found that 84% believe that a meal mix should not contain more than 2 grams of salt per serving. Most panel members indicated that they consider a meal mix without salt, or with a separate sachet of salt, to be the ideal solution. Unfortunately, only six meal mixes currently meet these criteria:
- Santa Maria Seasoning Mix for Taco No Salt or Sugar Added.
- Santa Maria Seasoning Mix for Fajita No Salt or Sugar Added.
- Honey Naturally full of flavour base for Chili con Carne.
- Honey Naturally full of flavour base for Nasi Special.
- Honey Naturally full of flavour base for Macaroni and Spaghetti.
- Honey Naturally full of flavour as the basis for Bami Special.
How the consumer association tests
The study looked at the complete range of meal mixes from the nine largest suppliers, a total of 173 items. The salt content per portion after preparation was used, including both the salt from the mix and the salt from the ingredients to be added. If this was not clearly stated on the label, the salt content was calculated itself.
Conclusion
The results of the Consumers' Association emphasize the importance of conscious choices when buying meal mixes. Many of these products contain unhealthy amounts of salt, which can contribute to long-term health problems.
At The Spice Club we believe in offering products that are not only delicious, but also good for your health. Our spice mixes contain 100% natural ingredients without salt or artificial additives. Choose health, choose honesty, choose The Spice Club.
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