Snags, sangers, sossy’s, bangers whatever you call them, sausages have been sizzling up Aussie barbies for decades. The adoration for the humble barbecue sausage is so great (we wolf down 1.1 billion of them a year!), a snag wrapped in a slice of bread may as well be Australia’s national dish. But in a heartbreaking twist, health experts have warned us that our love affair with the meat delicacy could be killing us.
New research analysing the salt content of more than 1000 processed meat products has found a sausage in bread with tomato sauce could contain 2.35 grams of salt. That’s nearly half the maximum daily intake recommended by the World Health Organisation of no more than 5 grams. The findings have raised alarm bells for those at risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, as a diet high in salt can increase your blood pressure which then puts strain on your heart, arteries, kidneys and brain.
“Australians love our snags on the barbecue, but I think most people would be surprised to learn just how much salt is in these sausages,” said VicHealth chief executive Jerril Rechter.
The report from The George Institute for Global Health, VicHealth and the Heart Foundation has named and shamed the saltiest sausages, including four types of sausages from Coles and one from Aldi, as well as the least salty snags so next time you’re at the supermarket you can make the healthiest choice.
Top five saltiest sausages
Coles Thin Pork BBQ Sausages, 2.9g salt/100g and Coles Australian Beef Thin BBQ Sausages, 2.4g salt /100g.
Brannan’s Butchery Classic Aussie Beef Sausages , Aldi, 2.4g salt/100g.
Coles Sow Stall Free Australia Pork Chipolatas, 2.4g salt/100g.
Coles Australian Beef Thin BBQ Sausages, 2.3g salt/100g.
Top five least saltiest sausages
Cleaver’s Organic Beef Sausages, 0.95 g salt/100g.
Beak & Sons Classics Tuscan Pork Gourmet Pork Sausages, 1.0g salt/100g.
K-roo Kanga Bangers, 1.0g salt/100g.
Woolworths Lamb Sausages Mint & Rosemary, 1.0g salt/100g.
Woolworths Chicken Sausages Chives, Thyme and Rosemary, 1.0g salt/100g.
