Warning over unhealthy takeaways

A lot of the food surveyed had too much fat and salt

A survey of fast food meals has shown "alarming levels" of fat and salt, trading standards officers have said.

Three hundred meals from takeaways were tested by Liverpool City Council, including pizza and kebab houses, fish and chip shops and burger bars.

One meal of beef green peppers with black bean sauce and fried rice had four times the recommended daily allowance of salt, said the council.

Councillor Berni Turner said the survey findings were shocking.

Health experts recommend a daily intake of 6g of salt and a fat intake of 99g for men and 75g for women.

Healthier meals

Other dishes on the trading standards "menu of shame" were pizzas with twice the daily allowance of fat and salt and prawn chow mein with three and a half times the levels of salt.

Mr Turner said: "I think a lot of people who buy food from takeaways will be horrified to find out just how much fat and salt is contained in one meal."

He said the council pledged to work with the Food Standards Agency and the local food industry to promote healthier meals.

"Otherwise people who regularly use takeaways will be eating themselves to an early grave," he added.

Allan Auty, of Liverpool Trading Standards, said: "Nobody is saying that you should never eat a takeaway meal but clearly the high levels of fat, salt and calories would be a concern if you eat these regularly."