Pesto pasta is one of those meals you turn to when all else has failed. Ready to eat in a matter of minutes and smothered in, what we thought was lovely, basily, goodness. It turns out that some pesto sauces now contain more salt per serving than a McDonald’s burger. Sigh. Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) tested several different pesto sauces, only to come to the conclusion that ‘none of the sauces it checked, including some made by Sainsbury's and Tesco, could be described as healthy.’
Pesto, much like other ready-made sauces, is the main reason I achieve variety in the meals I cook myself. Without them it would pretty much be plain pasta with a side helping of plain pasta as that’s all I can 1) afford and 2) actually cook. Pesto brought flavour and excitement so this news is, understandably, devastating.
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Research from CASH revealed that the salt levels in certain pesto sauces were actually higher than suggested limits. In fact, two sauces made by Sacla, the U.K.’s leading pesto brand, contain 30% more salt than seawater, which is weird because seawater makes me gag yet I can’t live without pesto. Sacla responded to the findings by advising that they ‘work hard to make authentic Italian products which are good quality, safe to eat and should be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.’ So basically, if you want authentic Italian sauces, you have to put up with the incredibly high salt content.
Almost half of the sauces that CASH investigated were high enough in saturated fats to justify a red information label on the packaging. Sarah Alderton, CASH assistant nutritionist, said that ‘pesto is an everyday product eaten by adults and children alike, but people might not realise just how salty it can be.’
The recommended daily allowance of salt for adults is no more than 6 grams, but just one serving of pesto contains around 1.5 grams.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for pesto lovers out there as CASH are only advising against ready-made pesto sauces. That means it’s time to pop down to your local Tesco and invest in a basil plant to grow on your kitchen windowsill. A traditional pesto sauce contains basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, pecorino and salt (obvs) which are all relatively easy ingredients to get your hands on. So if you have the time and money, switch to grinding up some homemade pesto instead of the ready-made jars that are jam-packed with salt.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.