Energy, total fat, saturated fat and salt of precooked sausages, in 2023 Portuguese market

Fernandes, Paulo; Lopes, Andreia; Brazão, Roberto; Dias, Maria da Graça

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8732

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Introduction: The awareness of risks of high salt intake on public health is reflected by the goal of reaching individual intake of 5 g/day by 2020 was set by the Integrated Strategy for Healthy Eating Promotion (EIPAS). EIPAS also refers energy and fat as health concerns. Sausages, that can be meat or vegetable-based, are sources of fat, saturated fat and salt. Aims: To characterize the nutritional composition of precooked sausages available on Portuguese market through labelling information and its compliance with reference documents. Methodology: Nutritional information on the labelling of precooked sausages, regarding energy, total fat, saturated fat and salt, available on Portuguese market was gathered from online stores of Portuguese supermarkets in 2023. Comparisons were made based, for salt on EIPAS goal (0.3 g/100 g), and for fat and saturated fat on Directorate-General of Health Label Decoder. Results: 82 precooked sausages based on pork (45), poultry (24) and vegetable (13) presented complete nutritional information.. The nutritional content per 100 g, expressed as median, was: for pork-based sausages,: energy-209 kcal , fat-17 g (5.8 g saturated) and salt-1.8 g of; for poultry-based sausages: energy-147 kcal , fat-10.5 g (3.1 g saturated) and salt-1.7 g; and for vegetable-based sausages: energy-217 kcal , fat-18 g (2.2 g saturated) and salt-1.5 g. Vegetable-based sausages presented higher energy and fat than meat-based sausages but lower saturated fat and salt content. Conclusions: Precooked sausages, based on the Label Decoder, showed medium contents of fat and saturated fat, and high content of salt (also higher than the EIPAS salt goal). Vegetable-based sausages presented the lowest salt and the highest energy and total fat contents. Pork-based sausages showed the highest saturated fat and salt content. In poultry-based sausages was found the lowest energy and fat contents. None of the products complied with EIPAS recommendations for salt.