CONCERNS over salt and sugar levels in meals found in tests of takeaway meals bought in Bradford have been revealed ahead of National Salt Awareness Week.

Some takeaway dishes can contain all of a person's recommended salt intake for a day, an investigation by Good Food Bradford has found.

One in six meals eaten away from the home often contain higher amounts of salt, fat and sugar than the homemade alternatives.

The recommended salt intake for an adult is 6g per day, but surveys show adults are currently having on average 8g daily.

During National Salt Awareness Week, held between February 29 and March 6, the Good Food Bradford Project will be running a social media campaign warning residents about the harmful effects of excess salt in their diet.

The campaign will also offer tips to reduce an individual's overall salt intake, increasing the public's awareness of the award.

The Good Food Bradford project is a partnership between West Yorkshire Trading Standards, Bradford Council and participating food outlets to help tackle the obesity crisis in Bradford.

The project urges firms to use healthier cooking methods and ingredients to provide healthier options, along with offering free training and support from the Good Food Bradford project officer.

Bradford Councillor Val Slater, who is chairman of West Yorkshire Trading Standards Committee, said: "The salt awareness week is a great opportunity for members of the public, takeaway owners and the Good Food Bradford Project to work together to help reduce the negative health conditions associated with increased salt intake."

The scheme also gives Bradford business owners the chance to get hold of a free five-hole salt shaker, to control the amount of salt their customers eat with their meals.

The campaign tells people about what salt is, how it affects health and what steps can be taken to reduce salt intake.

Residents can also nominate a takeaway if they think they offer healthier options and would be suitable to get the Good Food Bradford Award.

Dave Lodge, head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said: "This is a great opportunity for the Good Food Bradford Project to increase the awareness of issues surrounding too much salt in the diet and how to reduce the amount we eat to members of the public, as well as providing business owners with the resources needed to help customers lower their salt intake when eating from their establishment."

Figures produced by The World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) also show that more than five million people living in the UK do not know they have high blood pressure, a further one in four adults are living with the condition.

Excess salt in the diet increases the risk of developing high blood pressure.

This is linked to other health conditions including cardiovascular disease, stomach cancer, kidney disease and obesity.

WASH said if individuals cut their salt intake by 1g per day this would lead to a decrease in deaths from strokes and heart attacks by 4,147 people, saving the NHS about £288 million per year.

For more information about the award or how to obtain the free salt shakers, call Amy Lamond on 0113 393 9879 or email goodfood@wyjs.org.uk.