Table 1.
Sodium content of processed foods in Argentina by food group and category (n = 3674).
| Food Group | Food Category | Products (n) | Sodium Content (mg/100 g) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | Median | Range (Min–Max) | %ile 25 | %ile 75 | C.V. (%) * | |||
| Bread and bakery products | Bread | 110 | 442.7 | 443.0 | 1.08–1030 | 395.0 | 500.0 | 28.4 |
| Toast | 23 | 439.5 | 500.0 | 15.2–783.33 | 66.7 | 783.3 | 75.6 | |
| Biscuits | 363 | 311.0 | 278.6 | 0–1120 | 160.0 | 430.0 | 68.0 | |
| Bakery products | 101 | 299.5 | 250.0 | 15–960 | 170.8 | 392.5 | 68.7 | |
| Total bread and bakery products | 597 | 338.3 | 316.7 | 0–1120 | 184.4 | 478.0 | 62.1 | |
| Cereal and cereal products | Cereal bars | 40 | 160.3 | 159.0 | 0–604.35 | 105.3 | 193.5 | 62.7 |
| Breakfast cereal | 85 | 282.7 | 250.0 | 0–810 | 126.7 | 416.7 | 69.1 | |
| Pasta and noodles | 259 | 258.7 | 36.0 | 0–1075 | 10.0 | 537.0 | 113.9 | |
| Soy-based products | 24 | 411.2 | 424.0 | 18.82–832.94 | 381.9 | 459.3 | 47.3 | |
| Total cereal and cereal products | 408 | 263.0 | 181.2 | 0–1075 | 12.5 | 487.1 | 99.8 | |
| Convenience foods | Puff pastry for pies | 27 | 712.8 | 673.3 | 50–1200 | 620.0 | 850.0 | 30.3 |
| Puff pastry for empanadas | 38 | 732.1 | 693.1 | 450-1200 | 620.6 | 836.5 | 25.7 | |
| Soup | 52 | 300.3 | 292.0 | 40–625 | 228.1 | 306.3 | 37.2 | |
| Bouillon cubes | 24 | 339.0 | 378.4 | 32–450 | 284.0 | 407.6 | 32.2 | |
| Pizza | 21 | 709.1 | 610.7 | 178.33–1332.17 | 562.2 | 843.9 | 43.3 | |
| Ready-made meals | 16 | 206.6 | 210.8 | 18.16–474.39 | 32.8 | 338.3 | 74.4 | |
| Pre-cooked meals | 48 | 444.9 | 442.2 | 51.76–1754.67 | 282.4 | 523.6 | 73.2 | |
| Pre-mixtures | 25 | 421.5 | 406.3 | 17.65–1037.14 | 260.1 | 520.0 | 55.2 | |
| Instant dessert mixtures | 80 | 77.1 | 72.5 | 11.72–176 | 43.3 | 107.5 | 52.2 | |
| Frozen vegetables | 39 | 79.3 | 60.0 | 0–575 | 20.0 | 86.0 | 130.0 | |
| Total convenience foods | 370 | 351.8 | 293.2 | 0–1754.7 | 86.0 | 536.3 | 86.4 | |
| Dairy | Cheese | 316 | 628.5 | 583.3 | 13.33–2190 | 386.7 | 815.0 | 57.4 |
| Dairy-based desserts | 69 | 84.6 | 93.6 | 35–110.53 | 80.4 | 96.3 | 26.5 | |
| Yoghurt | 142 | 54.5 | 50.0 | 0–138.89 | 43.0 | 61.7 | 37.2 | |
| Total dairy | 527 | 402.6 | 300.0 | 0–2190 | 64.0 | 630.0 | 97.5 | |
| Edible oils and oil emulsions | Butter | 19 | 145.2 | 92.0 | 0–920 | 92.0 | 140.0 | 135.7 |
| Margarine | 19 | 442.1 | 540.0 | 0–810 | 200.0 | 650.0 | 52.1 | |
| Total edible oils and oil emulsions | 38 | 293.7 | 200.0 | 0–920 | 92.0 | 547.5 | 88.4 | |
| Fish and derivatives | Canned tuna | 32 | 389.0 | 360.8 | 221.67–735 | 275.0 | 467.9 | 34.3 |
| Canned mackerel | 8 | 217.3 | 218.3 | 98.33–343.33 | 175.0 | 255.0 | 34.0 | |
| Other fish ** | 64 | 900.0 | 427.5 | 0–7386.67 | 228.8 | 685.0 | 213.7 | |
| Canned sardines | 4 | 393.8 | 412.5 | 173.33–576.67 | 198.8 | 570.0 | 50.9 | |
| Breaded fish products | 15 | 487.4 | 496.2 | 149.23–887.69 | 293.8 | 629.0 | 43.3 | |
| Total fish and derivatives | 123 | 655.9 | 411.7 | 0–7386.7 | 248.3 | 588.3 | 188.4 | |
| Meat and meat products | Hamburger | 42 | 771.0 | 800.0 | 395–967.27 | 750.0 | 843.8 | 12.9 |
| Luncheon meat and sausages | 172 | 1079.3 | 992.5 | 115–3622.5 | 785.0 | 1281.9 | 47.9 | |
| Spreads | 15 | 760.0 | 750.0 | 260–1050 | 700.0 | 950.0 | 26.0 | |
| Breaded chicken products | 17 | 468.7 | 516.9 | 46.15–617.69 | 398.5 | 600.0 | 35.0 | |
| Others | 7 | 660.6 | 702.3 | 398.46–843.31 | 476.9 | 843.3 | 26.2 | |
| Total meat and meat products | 253 | 956.5 | 843.8 | 46.2–3622.5 | 702.4 | 1092.5 | 175.1 | |
| Snacks and appetizers | Snacks | 164 | 634.2 | 608.0 | 0–1236.67 | 500.0 | 758.0 | 36.5 |
| Appetizers | 76 | 1590.7 | 1600.0 | 2–2885 | 1164.0 | 2258.8 | 47.2 | |
| Total snacks and appetizers | 240 | 937.1 | 683.7 | 0–2885 | 552.0 | 1216.0 | 68.4 | |
| Sauces and spreads | Sauces | 46 | 348.4 | 335.0 | 0–1320 | 213.8 | 400.0 | 67.9 |
| Dressings | 168 | 1493.4 | 950.0 | 0–7333.33 | 783.3 | 1558.7 | 101.3 | |
| Total sauces and spreads | 214 | 1247.3 | 850.0 | 0–7333.3 | 405.8 | 1304.2 | 114.2 | |
| Beverages | Non-alcoholic beverage | 419 | 19.4 | 17.0 | 0–77 | 9.0 | 27.0 | 73.8 |
| Canned fruit and vegetables | Canned vegetables | 147 | 251.9 | 196.9 | 0–4760 | 63.3 | 261.5 | 181.5 |
| Canned fruit | 36 | 10.5 | 5.4 | 0–40 | 0.0 | 20.0 | 108.2 | |
| Total canned fruit and vegetables | 183 | 204.4 | 160.8 | 0–4760 | 19.3 | 233.1 | 205.8 | |
| Chocolates | Alfajores | 40 | 109.8 | 106.4 | 0–320 | 64.1 | 142.0 | 61.6 |
| Chocolate icing | 10 | 68.2 | 54.0 | 23.6–132 | 34.8 | 108.5 | 59.8 | |
| Dipping chocolate | 1 | 276.0 | − | − | − | − | − | |
| Chocolate bars | 59 | 106.7 | 112.0 | 0–280 | 94.5 | 136.0 | 47.5 | |
| Cocoa powder | 15 | 56.9 | 63.5 | 0–73.5 | 54.5 | 70.0 | 40.8 | |
| Others | 13 | 90.4 | 125.0 | 0–143.3 | 38.8 | 138.5 | 63.0 | |
| Total chocolates | 138 | 99.1 | 100.7 | 0–320 | 63.5 | 132.0 | 59.0 | |
| Ice cream | Ice cream | 123 | 52.9 | 58.5 | 0–190.8 | 31.7 | 68.3 | 60.8 |
| Condiments | Seasonings | 19 | 14,095.2 | 13,250.0 | 7828.57–23,493.33 | 10,145.8 | 17,100.0 | 31.5 |
| Bouillon cubes and powders *** | 22 | 20,308.9 | 20,386.7 | 2000–33,813.3 | 13,378.9 | 25,953.3 | 39.2 | |
| Total condiments | 41 | 17,429.4 | 16,960.0 | 828.5–33,813.3 | 12,325.3 | 22,600.0 | 41.4 | |
* Coefficient of variation; ** Examples of products included in the “other fish” category are frozen surimi, ready-made shellfish stew, and canned salmon in oil. *** Bouillon cubes within the condiments group are added directly to food preparations and are not reconstituted with water, like bouillon cubes within the convenience food groups.