In the South Häme Environmental Health Area, the salt content of lunch soups in institutional kitchens is at a good level.

In 2024, the South Häme Environmental Health Department checked the salt content of lunch soups at schools and daycare centers in its area. The Department collected 21–1 samples from each of the 4 institutional kitchens at schools and daycare centers in its area between April 1 and October 31, 2024. A total of 44 samples were obtained.

Institutional kitchens know how to use salt in moderation

School meals and early childhood education follow the school meal recommendation published by the Finnish National Nutrition Advisory Board. The ideal salt content of lunch soups, in accordance with the heart label criteria, is a maximum of 0,7 percent. Soups with a salt content of more than 1,2 percent are considered highly salty. The school meal recommendation recommends a longer-term salt content of main course soups of 0,5 percent.

Of the samples of cold pureed soups received, 88 percent had a salt content of no more than 0,7 percent. Only 5 percent of the samples were highly salty.

Of the heated soup samples, 33 percent had a salt content of no more than 0,7 percent. 23 percent of the soups were highly salty. Reheating soups causes some liquid evaporation, which may have slightly affected the accuracy of the measurement results.

Advice and guidance are provided during inspections

In connection with inspections, institutional kitchens are given advice and guidance on monitoring the salt content of their own prepared food. For example, the State Nutrition Advisory Board and its school food recommendation, the Finnish Heart Association and the Finnish Food Authority publish information on the importance of salt in the diet.

Kitchens should develop recipes that can help standardize the use of salt in food preparation, for example between employees.

A salt meter is a good tool for verifying salt content.

A salt meter is a very good tool for measuring and determining salt content in institutional kitchens. Almost 70 percent of the institutional kitchens that participated in this survey used the meter.

It would be a good idea to make the use of the meter a part of the daily cooking routines in institutional kitchens. However, attention should be paid to the use and calibration of salt meters to ensure accurate measurement results.

Environmental health in Etelä Häme operates in the areas of Forssa, Hausjärvi, Humppila, Janakkala, Jokiointe, Lope, Riihimäki, Tammela and Ypäjä.

South Häme Environmental Health Food Control website