Instant Soup
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in Food
Key findings
We tested three popular brands of packaged soup for sodium and sugar content. The brands were – Knorr, Reliance and Ching’s. We tested three variants in each brand – mixed vegetable, tomato and sweet corn vegetable, making a total of nine brands.
               (To zoom click on table)
Mixed vegetable soup:
Ching’s had the highest amount of sodium per serving (787 mg) followed by Reliance and Knorr. Ching’s also had the highest amount of sugar per serving (3.5 g) followed by Reliance and Knorr. (See table for details)
Tomato soup:
Reliance had the highest amount of sodium per serving (696 mg) followed by Ching’s and Knorr. Ching’s had the highest amount of sugar per serving (6.48 g) followed by Knorr and Reliance.
Sweet corn soup:Â
Ching’s had the highest amount of sodium  per serving (659 mg) followed by Knorr and Reliance. Ching’s also had the highest amount of sugar per serving (4.1 g) followed by Knorr and Reliance.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is a maximum of 2400 mg of sodium. At 659 mg, one serving of Ching’s Secret Mix Veg. Instant Soup contains nearly one-third the RDA! The Food Standard Agency (FSA) of UK has set a target of an average 600 mg in a single serving of soup for manufacturers. By this guideline, four of the nine brands exceed the limit.
The RDA for sugar as per the latest norms of the World Health Organization (WHO) is 25 g (six teaspoons). At 4.1 g, one serving Ching’s Secret Tomato Instant contains more than 25% of the RDA!
Health implications
Sodium is the harmful component of salt. Excess sodium is bad for health as it can cause high blood pressure which triples the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is also harmful for people with osteoporosis and kidney diseases.
Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet. Sugar is the leading contributor to obesity and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Also, packaged soups may contain ingredients that have side effects:
- Thickening agents like corn flour and maltodextrin – Corn flour increases blood sugar levels and leads to fat deposition in the body. Maltodextrin can cause allergic reactions, unexplained weight gain, bloating and flatulence.
- Colouring agents (masked as flavor enhancers) – Some are toxic and damage the kidneys and liver.
- Yeast extract – It increases the bad bacteria in the body and causes acidic conditions.
- MSG (monosodium glutamate) – It is known to trigger headaches, rapid heart rate, chest pain and cause nausea.
- Preservatives such as sulphites – Sulphites can cause rashes and itching, restricted breathing and even asthmatic attacks.
Urgent action needed
- Manufacturers should make a conscious effort to gradually reduce the level of sodium and sugar in soups.
- FSSAI should set limits for sugar content in packaged soups and other processed foods.
- To make it easy for consumers to understand, manufacturers should have a uniform serving size.
- FSSAI should ensure that manufacturers give nutritional information on the label as per a standard format.
Tips for consumers
- Make your packaged soup more nourishing by adding some freshly cooked vegetables, beans or lentils.
- For brands with high sodium content, use less concentrate to prepare soup.
- Some people are sensitive to preservatives/additives so read the food label if you are.
- Look out for MSG if you are sensitive to it. It may be listed as INS 621 among the ingredients.
For details Report CLICK HEREÂ
