Annex 2Examples of sodium content in various foods and food groups
Approximate amount of sodium content in various food groups
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| Food group | Sodium content mg/100 g |
|---|
| Table salt, baking soda, baking powder | 38,000 |
| Bouillon cubes, powdered broths, soups, gravies | 20,000 |
| Soy sauce | 7,000 |
| Snack foods (e.g. pretzels, cheese puffs, popcorn) | 1,500 |
| Bacon | 1,500 |
| Sauces and spreads | 1,200 |
| Cheese, hard | 800 |
| Processed vegetables | 600 |
| Butter/margarine | 500 |
| Cheese, soft | 400 |
| Processed fish | 400 |
Cereals and cereal products
(e.g. bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, cakes, pastries) | 250 |
| Fish, raw or frozen | 100 |
| Eggs | 80 |
| Milk and cream | 50 |
| Vegetables, fresh or frozen | 10 |
| Fruits, fresh or frozen | 5 |
Note: The information in this table is based on approximate calculations of an average mg of sodium per 100 g food from diverse, iconic foods taken from food composition databases from around the globe. The sodium content varies substantially within the food groups and the table provides a relative comparison of average levels of sodium only. The information provided can be used only for approximate comparisons of food groups, and should not be used to estimate daily intake.
Comparison of the sodium content of an example of foods in unprocessed (i.e. “natural”) and processed states
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| Food item | Description | Sodium content
(mg/100 g) |
|---|
| Beef | Topside, roast, lean and fat | 48 |
| Corned beef, canned | 950 |
| Bran | Bran, wheat | 28 |
| Bran flakes | 1,000 |
| Cheese | Hard cheese, average | 620 |
| Processed | 1,320 |
| Chick-peas | Dried, broiled in unsalted water | 5 |
| Canned, re-heated, drained | 220 |
| Crab | Boiled | 370 |
| Canned | 550 |
| Cod | Cod, in batter, fried in blended oil | 100 |
| Fish fingers, fried in blended oil | 350 |
| New potatoes | Raw, boiled in unsalted water | 9 |
| Canned, re-heated, drained | 250 |
| Peanuts | Plain | 2 |
| Dry roasted | 790 |
| Roasted and salted | 400 |
| Peas | Raw, boiled in unsalted water | Trace |
| Canned, re-heated, drained | 250 |
| Potato chips | Homemade, fried in blended oil | 12 |
| (French fries) Over chips, frozen, baked | 53 |
| Salmon | Raw, steamed | 110 |
| Canned | 570 |
| Smoked | 1,880 |
| Sweet corn | On-the-cob, whole, boiled in unsalted water | 1 |
| Kernels, canned, re-heated, drained | 270 |
| Tuna | Raw | 47 |
| Canned in oil, drained | 290 |
| Canned in brine, drained | 320 |
