Many of the nation's most popular sausages are worryingly high in salt, a new study has found.
Researchers at Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) surveyed 300 fresh and frozen meat, vegetarian and chipolata sausages from the UK's leading supermarkets in May 2011.
They found that one-third of products did not meet the Food Standards Agency's salt targets for 2010, and 81 per cent do not meet next year's revised target.
Just seven of the 246 meat sausages investigated by the team contained less salt than a packet of crisps.
The researchers warned that by starting the day with two sausages, Britons could be eating half of their daily recommended maximum (6g of salt) in a single meal.
Katharine Jenner, campaign director and nutritionist at Cash, revealed that sausages are the third largest contributor of salt to the UK diet.
But she advised: 'It is possible to eat much less salt by reading the label: we found enormous differences in salt content of sausages, regardless of the flavour, cost or meat content.'
Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, explained that eating too much salt can raise a person's blood pressure and damage their cardiovascular health.
She argued: 'Whether it's salty sausages, sugary sweets or fatty fast food, we need clear and consistent front-of-pack labelling so we can all make informed choices to help keep our hearts healthy.'
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