A recent study of 1,387 pizzas has shed light on some of the biggest culprits of saltiness in the pizza industry. Takeaway chains, in particular, are guilty of producing pizzas with an average salt content that is double that of supermarket brands. For example, Domino’s ‘Sizzler Standard Mozzarella Stuffed Crust Medium Pizza’ contains a staggering 21.38g of salt, which is over three times the recommended daily intake of less than 6g.
Furthermore, the saltiest supermarket pizza, The Pizza Company Takeaway Pizza the Pepperoni Party, contains 9.2g of salt which is one and a half times the daily recommended intake. Despite some companies cutting their salt content, such as Pizza Express, Dr. Oetker and Goodfella’s, who have decreased their salt levels by 29%, the high salt content in pizzas remains a major concern.
Ingesting too much salt can significantly harm human health. High salt consumption causes raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke. This is the leading cause of one in four deaths in the UK. Moreover, high salt consumption is also linked to kidney disease, osteoporosis, and stomach cancer. Salt makes our bodies hold onto water, which increases the pressure on blood vessel walls, raising blood pressure. When blood pressure is consistently high, it puts strain on the arteries, potentially leading to the development of atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty plaques in the arteries. These plaques narrow the arteries or break off and restrict blood flow to the heart and brain, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, resulting in around 3m deaths each year worldwide.
The research conducted by Action on Salt calls for more to be done to reduce salt content in food. The UK Government, especially Health Secretary Steve Barclay and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, have been called upon for stricter enforcement of salt reduction programmes, including legislated targets. A tiered salt levy should incentivise reformulation in a similar way to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, with the added advantage that reducing salt content, especially in solid foods, is much simpler than reducing sugar content, and in most cases does not require a replacement ingredient.
Interestingly, pizza manufacturers have a lot of scope to reduce salt content in their food, without affecting sales, as our research has shown. Many pizzas have more salt now than in 2014, and there is a lot of variation in the salt content of similar pizzas. This means that less salty pizzas are viable. Thinner bases, smaller slices of toppings such as pepperoni and gradually reduced portion sizes can lead to less salt. Goodfellas has reduced their salt content, and their sales have not been negatively impacted. Other companies should follow suit, as healthier products make good business sense.