Are baked beans the new veg?

10 April 2012

Can a tin of Teletubbies pasta shapes with mini sausages really be health enhancing? Is it possible that a portion of tinned spaghetti and chicken meatballs, or a can of Butt Ugly Martians Pasta Shapes, are on a par with fresh fruit and vegetables?

Yes, says Heinz, which is now promoting a range of canned food as counting towards the Government's recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables - the socalled five-a-day policy.

Not likely, say critics, who point out that processed food not only contains salt, fat and sugar, but it also loses some of the nutritional goodness associated with fresh produce.

"The can called Heinz London Grill contains baked beans, sausage and bacon, and it is being classified as a serving of fruit and veg ... this is madness,'' says Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at St George's Hospital, and a leading expert on salt.

Until last week, there had been a popular perception that the five-aday campaign centred, at least for the most part, on fresh food. Then came the Heinz way. The company announced that new logos appearing on some 70 selected canned products were designed to show consumers that they are equivalent to one or two portions: "We all know that getting children to eat fresh fruit and vegetables can be difficult, and five a day may seem like an impossible task," says the company. "Heinz has made easy-to-prepare, delicious and nutritious meals that kids will love and which will count towards their five-a-day."

It adds: "You may be surprised to learn that half a can of Heinz baked beans counts as one portion. Or that half a can of Heinz cream of tomato soup counts as two portions."

Professor MacGregor was certainly surprised. Like a number of others in the field, he is worried about the salt, sugar and fat content of the foods, with most concern focused on salt.

High levels of salt intake have been linked with high blood pressure, which in turn can contribute to heart disease and strokes. It has been estimated that 40,000 strokes a year could be prevented if salt consumption was cut by just a third.

Excessive consumption of salt has also been associated with stomach cancer, one of the most common forms of the disease in the Western world. It may also play a role in the development of osteoporosis.

Products in the new Heinz range contain varying amounts of salt, sugar and fat. A small 200g tin of baked beans with pork sausages, for example, contains 9.6g of sugar - almost five per cent - and 1.2g of salt.

"A lot of canned products are incredibly high in salt. They all contain roughly two grams of salt, some more," says Professor MacGregor, who is also chairman of Cash, Consensus Action on Salt and Health. "One serving of baked beans is two and half grams of salt, and the recommended total for a day is six. For children, the recommended daily intake varies from two to four grams, so one little tin of baked beans is the whole of their salt intake for a day''

"No one in their right mind is going to recommend Heinz canned products as part of healthy eating diet because of the high salt content. Many of them are also high in fat and some are high in sugar

"A second issue is whether highly processed, canned products can really be the same as fresh fruit and vegetables. The evidence suggests that fresh is better.''

But the British Dietetic Association supports the Heinz campaign: "We support the on-pack logo. Choosing one or two canned foods along with other fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables can be a convenient way to reach for the five-a-day-target," says chairman Luci Daniels.

Surveys suggest that more than half the population doesn't eat enough fruit and vegetables, and supporters of the scheme say it will increase the amount. Critics say that people are probably already eating the canned products and will now eat more, rather than vary their diet with fresh food.

Heinz, meanwhile, says it is aware of the salt content of its food and is reducing it: "Heinz is very conscious of concerns about excessive salt and sugar intake, and for the past 15 years has been involved in a long-term programme to reduce levels of added salt and sugars. In the past 15 years, the level of added salt in baked beans has gone down by 14 per cent, and in tomato soup, 17 per cent," says Dr Nigel Dickie, Heinz's nutritional consultant.

"Heinz could make cans of baked beans with no added salt or sugar. The problem is that people don't like them that way. A better route is to gradually take levels down over time. It also should be pointed out that fresh vegetables do have less salt, but they are generally cooked in salty water or served with added salt."

He added: "No one is suggesting that your entire five a day should be made up of Heinz products. Variety is the underpinning message of all good nutrition."

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