Salt content of processed foods in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and compliance with salt standards.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends a maximum daily salt intake of 5 g for adults; the Islamic Republic of Iran has national standards for salt content of foods.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the salt content of industrial (made in large-scale food companies) and non-industrial (made in local stores using traditional methods) foods in Tehran province and compare it with the Iranian national standards.

Methods: We determined the salt content of 555 industrial and non-industrial products from parts of Tehran province in 2016 and 2018. The types of foods examined were: canned vegetables, industrial and non-industrial pickled vegetables, industrial and non-industrial tomato paste/tomato sauce, industrial and non-industrial nuts, and non-industrial barberry juice. The salt content of each product and its compliance with Iranian national standards was evaluated.

Results: The salt content of industrial tomato paste/sauce in 2016 (2.05 g/100 g) and non-industrial tomato paste/sauce in 2018 (2.37 g/100 g) was higher than the Iranian standard (1.5/2.0 g/100 g). The mean salt content of both industrial (1.97 g/100 g) and non-industrial (2.16 g/100 g) nuts was higher than the Iranian standard (1.88 g/100 g), as was the mean salt content of non-industrial juice (0.79 g/100 mL versus 0.25 g/100 mL). In 2018, only 48% and 40% of industrial and non-industrial tomato pastes/sauces met the Iranian standard. Overall, industrial products conformed better with the national standard than non-industrial products.

Conclusions: Efforts are needed to reduce the salt content of processed food in the Islamic Republic of Iran and ensure they meet the Iranian standards.