New research suggests that the salt content of many popular takeout meals may be far higher than diners expect.
New research indicates that many popular restaurant takeout meals in the UK contain more salt than menu information suggests, with some individual dishes exceeding recommended daily limits.
The analysis showed that 47% of the foods tested had salt levels higher than what was listed on menus. Items such as curries, pasta, and pizza were especially likely to differ from their stated values.
Although some restaurants did not provide salt information, certain meals from independent eateries in Reading were found to contain more than 10g of salt in a single serving. In comparison, the recommended daily salt intake for an adult in the UK is 6g.
In contrast, meals from traditional fish and chip shops generally contained lower amounts of salt. This is because salt is usually added only after cooking and only when customers request it.
The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Reading and published in the journal PLOS One. The research examined how accurate menu labeling is and how much salt content can vary between similar restaurant dishes.
Challenges of Accurate Menu Labeling
Professor Gunter Kuhnle, who led the study from the University of Reading, said: “We conducted this research because we suspected that many menu labels were inaccurate on salt. It is very difficult for restaurants to provide accurate values without measuring each meal. Variations in preparation methods, ingredients used, and portion sizes mean food labels are often guesswork. It’s virtually impossible to know exactly how much salt is being added to your dinner.
“Food companies have been reducing salt levels in shop-bought foods in recent years, but our research shows that eating out is often a salty affair. Menu labels are supposed to help people make better food choices, but almost half the foods we tested with salt labels contained more salt than declared. The public needs to be aware that menu labels are rough guides at best, not accurate measures.”
Chip choices
The researchers bought 39 takeaway meals from 23 outlets across Reading, from mainstream restaurant chains and local independent takeaway restaurants.
The research team’s key findings include:
- Meat pizzas had the highest salt concentration at 1.6g per 100g.
- Pasta dishes contained the most salt per serving, averaging 7.2g, which is more than a full day’s recommended intake in a single meal. One pasta dish contained as much as 11.2g of salt.
- Curry dishes showed the greatest variation, with salt levels ranging from 2.3g to 9.4g per dish.
- Chips from fish and chip shops – where salt is typically only added after cooking and on request – had the lowest salt levels at just 0.2g per serving, compared to chips from other outlets which averaged 1g per serving.
The World Health Organization estimates that excess salt intake contributes to 1.8 million deaths worldwide each year.
Reference: “Variability in sodium content of takeaway foods: Implications for public health and nutrition policy” by Alexandra Irina Mavrochefalos, Andrew Dodson and Gunter G. C. Kuhnle, 21 January 2026, PLOS ONE.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0339339
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