Not so hot news about sausages

Key findings in a recent study by the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH), show that only 2% of sausages in Australian supermarkets meet acceptable salt levels.

AWASH revealed that one single sausage sandwich at your local barbecue could contain as much as 6grams of salt or 100% of the maximum daily recommended amount for adults and almost double that recommended for children. So what else should you consider before you sizzle that sausage?

Pros

Sausages can be an important source of protein for children, particularly young, fussy children who may not eat many other types of meat.
They can be part of a balanced diet if served with vegetables / salad and limited in serve frequency.
There are a huge range of better-for-you sausages and those using free range meat now available.

Cons

Sausages are often served as a ‘sausage sizzle’ with white bread, butter and tomato sauce and this is not a balanced meal.
Compared to other cuts of lean red meat, fish or chicken, sausages are higher in total fat, saturated fat, sodium and often artificial additives.
You may not want to know what goes into sausages at the bottom end of the market and you may not be able to identify all of the meat sources. Compared to a premium sausage with potentially 70% meat content, cheaper sausages have less meat content and more additives. The ‘meat’ used in a cheap sausage will often include skin, rind, gristle and bone but the meat in a better sausage will come from a recognisable cut of meat which could grace your Sunday lunch table.
The majority of sausages use sulphur based preservatives which can be problematic for anyone (particularly children) with asthma who are sensitive.
The NSW Cancer Council states that there is some evidence that heavily charring meat might produce carcinogens. It is recommended not to overcook or blacken meat on the barbecue.
According to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead tough skins on frankfurts and other sausages should be removed as these pose a choking hazard.