According to campaigners, the high level of salt in the British diet kills 35,000 people a year. About 70,000 strokes and heart attacks annually are caused by excess sodium consumption; half end in death. That means the death toll from salt is 10 times more than the 3,172 road deaths in 2006, and the 1,608 deaths from illegal drugs in 2005.
The saltiness of popular grocery items has been uncovered by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) which previously exposed the hidden quantities in fast food. Researchers checked 73 goods made by the likes of Tesco, Heinz and Dairylea and found dozens of salty products, with up to 4.3 grams per 100g, despite the Food Standards Agency's warning that 1.5g salt per 100g is "high" for adults.
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