High intake of salt has become part of city’s culture, say nutritionists

Macau recently recorded a higher rate of hypertension compared to mainland China and Hong Kong. Consequently, nutritionists are highlighting the importance of raising public awareness of healthy-eating.

In Hong Kong, its Consumer Council found that 76 out of 100 sampled Asian soup noodles contained too much sodium. Similar data is unavailable in Macau.

The World Health Organization recommends a daily intake of 2,000 milligrams for an average adult. However, some restaurants in neighboring regions have been found to contain up to triple the maximum recommended intake.

The Times contacted Macau’s Consumer Council to enquire whether the council had conducted similar tests in the region, however these tests were only conducted on meats.

“The Consumer Council has recently conducted a test on Chinese barbecued meats and braised meats for bacteria, colorants, and […] sodium,” the council said.

“However, we have not conducted any test on Asian soup noodles recently,” it added.

Excessive sodium intake over prolonged periods of time increases the risk of getting kidney disease and suffering a stroke.

A clinical dietician who declined to be identified said that there is no research studying salt usage in Macau’s restaurants, unlike the one that has been conducted in Hong Kong.

“In Hong Kong, the studies are pretty much all covered and done very well, but in Macau, I can tell that [there are] no resources to do that,” said the expert.

“We are eating in almost the same culture with the [same] Chinese environment. It’s pretty much very probable but being probable is not enough. We need to test it before we can say that it’s really happening,” the Macau-based dietician added.

According to the dietician, the region is also in need of such data in order for public to be aware of the reasons behind the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases, which could be partially caused by a high intake of salt and sugar.

Echoing the sentiments, chairman of the Macau Professional Nutritionist Association said that Hong Kong’s data may likely be similar to Macau’s due to the same culture in food choices and food intake.

Victor Ho explained that there is already a culture of Chinese locals ingesting a high amount of sodium which is found in frequently consumed  sauces and side dishes.

“It’s culture. No matter whether] they are from Macau or Hong Kong, they often consume a very high intake of salt. They are keen to such taste,” said the nutritionist.

“This is the underlining reason why we have an increased risk of developing diseases such as hypertensions, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and diabetes,” he added.

According to the chairman, some preliminary data in Macau about diseases such as hypertension is available, yet public education and awareness is quite low.

The nutritionist suggested that locals should be aware of the data available in Hong Kong, as residents from both regions consume similar foods.

He implied that there is only a small number of residents who are health conscious and are therefore aware of the amount of sodium and sugar they intake, while many are not aware of local restaurants’ use of salt.

“The major difference is that people in Macau intake specific food that Hong Kong people may not [consuming] that much. This includes the availability of some salty food including codfish in local restaurants, then […] different sauces they add to their noodles,” said Ho.

According to Ho, the association he chairs provides beginner courses in nutritional information to raise awareness of healthy food options.

The nutritionist noted that Hong Kong has restaurants that list the amount of sodium that is on the menu, highlighting those dishes low in salt.

“I see no local restaurants that have menus that label the amount of sodium a dish has. There’s way more the government can do to prevent the incidence of hypertension,” he said.

“Education is what we focus on, to educate the public how to eat healthily. This is all that we can do but it takes time, it’s not just a campaign or two that could change everything,” Ho added.

He suggested that a food labeling law could be enforced in the city, emphasizing that the number of residents who develop chronic diseases in the region is “growing very fast.”

Just last month, the Macau Association of Cardiovascular Interventions (MACI) reported that the number of residents predicted to suffer from cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, and others is increasing.

During the first working meeting of the Commission for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases in March, the commission recalled that it held events related to salt restriction and weight reduction to promote the prevention of blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. 

It also recalled that it held events that aim to promote healthy eating which recommended through social media that citizens should reduce the sugar intake in their diet.

CC tests reveal results within parameter

According to a report by the council, 30 samples of Chinese sausages showed that all had normal values ​​and within the safety parameters adopted.

Although the result of recent laboratory tests considered to be good, the council recommends a moderate consumption of this type of meat.

Also, among the 10 samples of sausages tested, “Johnsonville Smoked Sausage & Cheddar Cheese” has the lowest salt content and contains 1.2 grams of salt per 100 grams of sausage.

The sample with the highest salt content is “Select’s Chicken Franks,” as each 100 grams of sausage contains 2.2 grams of salt content.

In regards to its laboratory analysis on the use of kitchen salt, 17 samples of salt were collected, 14 of which were supermarkets in Macau, and three in the Zhuhai market, of which all the samples examined were in conformity with the requirements of that standard.