The study covered 100 samples (10 types) of non-prepackaged MOOP collected from Chinese, Western and Asian restaurants, local style cafés and fast-food chains during July to September 2016, which were tested for the sodium content by the Food Research Laboratory. Moreover, 3 more non-prepackaged samples of “steamed rice with barbecued pork without sauce” were collected and tested so as to understand the effect of the addition of sauce on the sodium content of MOOP. In addition, 8 samples (3 types) of prepackaged MOOP were obtained from supermarkets and retail outlets, and their sodium contents as declared on nutrition labelling were examined.
The mean, minimum and maximum sodium content per 100 g of the 10 types of non-prepackaged MOOP samples are summarized in the table below. Mean sodium content of “fried noodles with preserved vegetable and spare rib” ranked the highest whereas that of “steamed rice with bean curd sheet and roasted pork” ranked the lowest.
Sodium content varied quite widely among restaurants within certain MOOP types (e.g. a maximum sodium difference of nearly two folds was observed in “steamed rice with bean curd sheet and roasted pork”). This suggests that it is practicably possible for the trade to reduce the sodium content in MOOP.
The mean sodium contribution of the 10 types of non-prepackaged MOOP to WHO’s recommended limit of daily intake 2,000 mg sodium per day. Among all 100 MOOP samples, one portion of MOOP contributed a mean of 100% of WHO’s recommended limit of daily sodium intake. Nearly half of the samples contained sodium contents over WHO’s recommended limit of daily intake in one portion, while all samples contained sodium contents over one-third of that limit in one portion.
The results of this study also showed that when having “steamed rice with barbecued pork” without consuming sauce, the reduced sodium intake accounted for as much as ~30% of WHO’s recommended daily limit. Similarly, when having “steamed rice with curry beef brisket” without consuming gravy, the reduced sodium intake reached a quarter of WHO’s recommended daily limit on average. These results implied that limiting the consumption of sauce or gravy in MOOP could reduce sodium intake effectively.
Advice to Consumers
- Limit the consumption of MOOP high in sodium and those MOOP items contain ingredients with high salt content (e.g. pickles, salted fish, preserved sausages).
- Request no or less sauce to be added on MOOP; and ask for “less salt” or “less salty” option of the food.
- Request dishes to be served separately from rice/noodles when making order, and taste before adding gravy.
- Beware of the portion size of MOOP, share with others when the portion size is large.
- Take note of the nutrient content to choose the suitable MOOP, such as reading nutrition labelling, making reference to the result of this study or the Nutrition Information Inquiry System (NIIS) of the CFS. When selecting a healthier option, apart from sodium content, other nutrition information such as fat content is also important.
Source: Centre for Food Safety