Indian takeaway 'can contain whole day's fat'
A single Indian takeaway can contain more saturated fat than a person should eat in a day, according to UK consumer watchdog Which?
An average portion of an Indian takeaway contained 23.2g of saturated fat, 3.2g more than a woman should eat each day, the study found.
Chinese takeaways had less saturated fat but contained nearly three times as much sugar, with one portion containing more than 19 teaspoons of sugar.
Which? tested the calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt in three types of takeaways – Indian, Chinese and pizza – to find out how each meal fitted in with guideline daily amounts.
The study included 10 Indian and 10 Chinese meals ordered from London takeaway outlets.
It also analysed four medium thick-crust cheese and tomato pizzas and four medium thin-crust pepperoni pizzas from Domino’s Pizza, Perfect Pizza and Pizza Hut alongside supermarket equivalents.
Supermarket pizzas contained fewer calories on average than takeaway options, according to the results.
A 300g portion of takeaway pepperoni pizza contained more saturated fat than a woman’s recommended daily amount and more than two thirds’ the recommended daily allowance of salt for an adult.
There is no legal requirement for takeaway packaging to list the nutritional content of the food.
Those ordering an Indian takeaway may not be aware that naan bread contained more calories – weight for weight – than chicken tikka masala, Which? said.
Some pizza chains, such as Pizza Hut and Domino’s, listed nutritional information on their websites.
However, four Domino’s cheese and tomato pizzas tested had at least 50% more fat per 100g than the website stated, according to Which? results.
Neil Fowler, the editor of Which?, said: “We don’t want to be killjoys when it comes to takeaways.
“Everyone’s entitled to enjoy a treat while they’re watching the footy or a movie, but we would like people to be aware of just how much of their daily food intake comes in just one meal. A day’s worth of fat or sugar shouldn’t be ignored.
“Unlike at the supermarket, it’s almost impossible to work out the nutritional content of a takeaway. Domino’s and Pizza Hut have made efforts by voluntarily listing this information on their websites.
“Highlighting healthier options is useful, but ultimately we want consumers to have much clearer information about fat, sugar and salt levels.”
