Chinanews.com, August 28th (Zhongxin Finance and Economics reporter Wu Tao) Pre-made dishes are on fire!

With clean packaging and fast delivery, it is favored by consumers.

A plate of fish-flavored shredded pork in 5 minutes, and a plate of shiitake mushrooms and chicken in 8 minutes, even a "little white" in the kitchen can make a big meal in minutes.

But after eating for a while, many consumers murmured: Why does it feel a little salty?

Sodium content is generally too high

　　If you carefully study the ingredients of prepared dishes, you may wish to be confident and remove the "feel", because it is very salty. The ingredient list of many prepared dishes shows that the amount of "sodium" is amazing, and some even reach 100% per 100 grams of food. Contains more than 1000 mg of sodium.

Screenshot of "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022"


　　what is this concept?

According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022", adults should consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day.

Generally, the sodium content of table salt is about 40%, which means that it is recommended that adults consume no more than 2000 mg of sodium per day.

　　The reporter's investigation found that many pre-made dishes have a sodium content of about 500 mg per 100 grams. A Congchu pre-made dish "Xiangxi Grandma Cuisine" sold on an e-commerce platform has a sodium content of 1250 mg per 100 grams.

A Guyan "braised pork" has a sodium content of 560 mg per 100 grams.

A prepared dish has 1,250 mg of sodium per 100 g.

Screenshot of e-commerce platform


　　Many pre-made vegetables weigh between 300 grams and 500 grams. If the above "sodium content per 100 grams is about 500 mg", the sodium content of a 300-gram serving of pre-made vegetables reaches 1,500 mg.

One serving is close to the recommended standard, let alone more.

　　"Actually, we may eat two or three packs of pre-made vegetables in one meal, because the weight is really small, and 300 grams of pre-made vegetables are only as many as a small bowl after they are heated." A consumer told Zhongxin Finance and Economics .

　　This means that it's possible that you've met the recommended criteria above by eating two pre-made dishes.

According to public information, food with a sodium content of less than 100 mg per 100 grams of food is considered a low-sodium food.

Why is the sodium content too high?

　　The reporter tried some pre-made dishes, such as fish-flavored shredded pork, braised pork ribs, etc., with a lot of tricks.

But there is a common feature, that is, the sauce is more, and the taste is salty.

　　Some analysts pointed out that pre-made dishes will coat the surface of the meat with an extra layer of starch, add more sugar, salt and oil to the sauce, and put a little preservative in compliance with the regulations, and these "steps" are in the normal home cooking process. Basically it doesn't exist.

　　Other studies have pointed out that Chinese consumers have scattered and diversified tastes, but human beings are naturally addicted to sweetness and salt, and prefabricated dishes are also constantly exploring the consumption tastes of Chinese people; Industrial penetration is still restricted by technology and refrigeration technology.

　　It's not just these prepared dishes that contain sodium, it's all the fruits, vegetables, and grains you normally eat.

If you eat prepared dishes that are too high in sodium with each meal, you can imagine your daily sodium intake.

　　In fact, it's not just table salt, as mentioned above, many prepared dishes are also too high in sugar, oil, etc.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022" recommends that the intake of sugar should not exceed 50 grams per day, preferably below 25 grams; cooking oil should be 25 to 30 grams.

　　The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022" also recommends eating less processed meat products and recommending that sodium be obtained from vegetables.

(Finish)