Consumer Council recently conducted a test on 8 brands of luncheon meat for their levels of sodium and test result showed a general high level of sodium in this kind of food. Test result and report details have been published in the latest issue no.229 of Consumer Report, the current issue also includes articles such as price and weight survey on white bread, price survey of ‘wash, cut, and blow-dry’ service in local salons, etc.

Canned food is very common to consumers but usually contains high levels of sodium. Consumer Council recently tested 8 samples of canned luncheon meat for their levels of sodium. Origins of all samples included mainland China, European and American countries.

The current test was conducted by examining the amount of salt contained in the samples. Test result showed that in all 8 samples tested, the levels of sodium contained ranged from 500mg to 1000mg for every 100g of meat tested. According to World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the maximum daily intake of sodium for an adult should not exceed 2000mg, which is about 1 teaspoon of salt. According to the sample with the highest level of sodium, for every 1000mg of sodium contained in 100g of meat, one can of 340g luncheon meat contained over 3000mg of sodium, which was over half of the recommendation intake by the abovementioned two organizations.

The Council indicates that sodium is essential to daily functions of the human body but excessive intake of sodium leads to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure and kidney disease, etc. Consumers should be aware of their daily intake of sodium and avoid foods that are too salty.

The mentioned test was conducted with reference to national standard GB/T 13213-2006 ‘Canned food – minced pork’ and tested the samples for their carbohydrates, fat, protein, and water levels. Details of the test can be found in issue no. 229 of Consumer Report.

Further, Consumer Council conducted a weight and price survey on breads from 20 bakeries as well as a price survey on ‘wash, cut, and blow-dry’ service in local salons. All report details can be found in the current issue of Consumer Report.

The current issue also features recent work and activities of the Council. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the office of Consumer Council (Rua Inácio Baptista, Nº 6-6A Edficio Seaview Garden R/C), and the service counter of Consumer Council at Macao SAR Government Service Centre (Rua Nova da Areia Preta, Nº52), Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza, libraries and bookstores. Consumers may also access the resources online on the Council’s official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315.