Measurements of Salinity and Salt Content by Menu Types Served at Industry Foodservice Operations in Daegu

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate salinity and sodium content in foods served at industry foodservice operations in selected workplaces in Daegu. The researcher collected 1,142 food items categorized into 22 menu item groups from lunch samples served at 100 industry foodservice operations and measured the salinity of the food items, and calculated sodium and salt contents from the salinity. In terms of salt content of one meal at each workplace, 46% of the meals were 3-<5 g, and only 3.0% of them were 1.7 g or less, which is one third of the daily target intake (5 g) presented by the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. In terms of sodium content, 35.3% of the meals were 1,000-< 1,500 mg (most), and only 2.5% of them were 667 mg or less, which is, again, one third of the daily target intake. As to the salinity of each menu item group, side dishes such as sauces, kimchi, seasoned vegetables, hardboiled foods, and stir-fried foods were significantly higher, but the sodium content was not higher, because their quantity per serving was small. The salinity of foods with liquid such as stews, noodles, soups, and broths was relatively lower, but the sodium content was higher, because their quantity per serving was large. This indicates that an education program should be developed for foodservice workers who prepare food for the workplace regarding the development and promotion of various menus for reducing sodium content, in order to reduce sodium content in meals served by food service in the workplace. (Korean J Community Nutr 17(5) : 637~651, 2012) KEY WORD : salinity·salt content·sodium content·industry foodservice