Table 1

Sodium content of processed meat and fish products across five countries (mg/100 g)

	USA (n=17 098)			SA (n=946)			Australia (n=5673)			UK (n=885)			China (n=1898)			K-W H test
	n	Median	IQR	n	Median	IQR	n	Median	IQR	n	Median	IQR	n	Median	IQR	K-W H test
Total	17 098	655	353–981	946	571	362–876	5673	489	335–854	885	432	236–786	1898	1050	774–1473	P Value
Meat	12 954	768	474–1071	612	754	518–1020	3836	580	376–990	558	590	275–904	1641	1066	800–1450	<0.001
Meat alternative products	372	478	386–607	–	–	–	–	–	–	10	413	236–550	1	1102	1102	<0.001
Bacon	707	1667	1050–1857	36	1018	823–1155	289	1150	1020–1700	43	1612	1140–2162	33	805	750–1000	0.175
Canned meat	462	607	446–964	44	659	517–855	127	717	483–900	8	275	236–826	48	762	688–887	<0.001
Frozen meat	1169	532	400–690	123	460	347–577	875	440	347–560	86	275	236–354	33	160	64–713	0.018
Meat burgers	824	476	305–647	47	638	500–794	162	475	390–584	6	393	315–472	7	612	486–703	<0.001
Salami and cured meats	554	1607	1357–1750	25	1633	1415–1838	265	1410	1200–1600	5	1573	1376–1612	115	1200	949–1532	<0.001
Sausage and hot dogs	2817	829	696–974	133	814	684–935	456	704	565–900	36	550	452–747	269	991	832–1111	<0.001
Sliced meat	1937	875	750–1088	84	900	745–1100	359	989	816–1100	173	668	590–865	23	1132	845–1250	<0.001
Dried meat	1383	1536	1036–1929	43	2144	1682–2280	126	1760	1400–2000	—	—	—	281	1509	1153–1760	<0.001
Pate and meat spreads	83	679	518–911	14	789	438–861	89	480	310–603	28	629	550–708	5	1916	1670–2490	<0.001
Kebabs	2	493	462–525	—	—	—	38	408	294–504	1	393	393	—	—	—	<0.001
Other meat products	427	589	94–1071	26	865	560–1070	83	570	340–925	13	275	236–472	649	1050	782–1390	—
Raw flavoured meats	501	446	254–750	24	465	356–580	678	368	245–502	27	197	197–315	42	563	382–763	<0.001
Whole hams and similar products	4	848	750–1518	2	839	744–934	80	1080	1000–1400	12	1081	983–1356	103	1039	940–1250	<0.001
Roasted chicken	2	563	357–768	1	415	415	37	359	271–548	3	197	118–236	9	893	693–996	0.977
Raw unflavoured meats	1710	71	63–402	10	69	58–120	172	66	50–323	62	79	79	23	122	70–234	<0.001
Fish	4144	364	208–529	334	356	265–453	1837	395	286–540	327	354	236–550	257	942	470–1867	0.011
Canned fish	1219	388	299–467	168	353	280–400	821	380	309–472	66	354	315–393	138	902	599–1586	<0.001
Chilled fish	147	389	171–691	36	449	226–798	332	587	324–917	126	511	157–747	53	1744	370–5072	<0.001
Frozen fish	2733	347	152–541	100	295	169–434	559	340	225–449	117	275	197–354	36	131	73–715	<0.001
Other fish	45	5389	3813–6000	30	451	362–580	125	860	426–4990	18	550	432–747	30	1305	1147–1644	<0.001