MONDAY, Nov. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Sodium-reduced meat and poultry products frequently have higher potassium content than their non-sodium-reduced counterparts, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week 2014, held from Nov. 11 to 16 in Philadelphia.
Arti Sharma Parpia, R.D., from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and colleagues scanned grocery stores from the top three grocery chains in Canada for all sodium-reduced meat and poultry products. They analyzed protein, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium content using the Association of Analytical Communities official methods.
The researchers found that 19 sodium-reduced meat and poultry products contained 25 to 55 percent less sodium than their non-sodium reduced counterparts (mean difference, 460 mg/100 g; P < 0.001). The potassium content ranged from 210 to 1,500 mg/100 g in sodium-reduced products, and was 195 mg/100 g higher than in non-sodium-reduced products (P < 0.001). In 63 percent of sodium-reduced products and 25 percent of non-sodium-reduced products, potassium-containing additives were listed in the ingredients (P = 0.02). There was no significant difference between the groups in the amounts of phosphorus, protein, and the phosphorus:protein ratio.
"This research supports the mandatory inclusion of potassium content on nutrition fact tables, especially on product labels that claim to be reduced in sodium," Parpia said in a statement.
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