The salt and vinegar lashing is arguably what makes fish and chips Britain’s favorite national dish.
But public health experts suggest chippies should lead the way in making takeaways healthier – by reducing the number of holes in salt shakers.
Making small changes – such as smaller portions – could help reduce the country’s bulging waistlines, a House of Lords committee heard.
Amelia Lake, a professor of Public Health Nutrition at Teesside University, said trials have proved popular, with most people not even noticing the salt reduction.
She said: ‘We need to think about what we are doing. These businesses are everywhere and most of the time they are run by local people and it is a local business.
Public health experts suggest chippies should take the lead in making takeaways healthier – by reducing the number of holes in salt shakers. Making small changes – such as smaller portions – could help reduce the country’s bulging waistlines, a House of Lords committee heard
Speaking at the Food, Diet and Obesity Committee, Amelia Lake, Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Teesside University, said takeaways were ingrained in society and important to local communities. Asked what initiatives have been successful, she added: “We worked with people who provided the packaging and we worked with them to provide a lighter bite box for fish and chips, it reduced the calories and a lot of people could suffer.”
‘The businesses are there and people like a takeaway.
“But will they notice how many holes there are in the salt shaker? I do every time I go in, but other people don’t.”
Speaking to the Food, Diet and Obesity Committee, she said takeaways were ingrained in society and important to local communities.
As a result, reducing the negative effects on health was about ‘working with what you’ve got’, adding that companies were not opposed to changing behaviour.
Asked what initiatives have been successful, she added: ‘We worked with people who provided the packaging and we worked with them to provide a lighter bite box for fish and chips, it reduced the calories and it could many people suffer.
‘We looked at the number of holes in the salt shaker. Significantly changing the number of holes significantly reduced the salt.’
Salt is a known cause of high blood pressure, which is responsible for thousands suffering or dying from a heart attack or stroke each year.
A program to reduce salt in the nation’s diet saw the amount consumed fall by almost 20 percent, but this has crept back up since it became effectively voluntary.
Andrew Crook, chairman of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said the public is in love with salt and many traditional chippies are trying in vain to reduce consumption.
He said: ‘We don’t add salt unless customers want it and we get people saying ‘can I have a bit more’ if you try to reduce it.
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Around two thirds of over 16s in England (64 per cent) are overweight, including tens of thousands who are morbidly obese. This is an increase of 11 percent compared to 1993, when 53 percent were considered obese. Experts blame sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets. Source: Health Survey for England 2021
“I have salt shakers in my shop with six holes, whereas they used to have 10 or 12, but you tend to find people just stand there longer.”
Staff are trained not to add to children’s meals and only put it on adults’ portions when asked, he said.
‘For us, it’s about giving consumers the choice and it’s up to the government to educate them about why it’s bad for them, rather than saying ‘no, you can’t have it’.
This is not the time when British fish and chips have been the target of a public health effort.
In 2010, the Food Standards Agency encouraged deep fryers to use larger, thicker chips because they absorb less fat.
Sonia Pombo, from Action on Salt, said small reductions go a long way to reducing blood pressure.
She said: ‘This just goes to show how easy it can be to lower your salt while still enjoying your fish and chips.
‘There’s no reason why initiatives like this shouldn’t also be rolled out to the rest of the hospitality sector, not just with salt shakers for customers, but for chefs in kitchens who are notorious for over-salting food.’
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of different fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 wholegrain crackers, 2 thick slices of wholegrain bread and a large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy products or dairy products (such as soy drinks) by choosing lower fat and lower sugar
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish each week, one of which should be fatty)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume in small quantities
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
