Too much salt in 99 per cent of Hong Kong school lunches

Junior primary school students are getting far too much salt and not enough fibre in their lunchboxes, a study has found.

The Centre for Health Protection conducted tests at 29 primary schools in March and April in 2013, taking 96 samples from lunches served to Primary One to Primary Three students.

The samples were then compared with a similar study in 2007, with energy and nutrition the main targets.

Total fat was found to have the biggest drop, falling 35 per cent, while saturated fat and sodium dropped 28 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.

But despite the decrease in sodium, the amount of salt in the students' lunchboxes was still cause for major concern with 99 per cent of the samples exceeding the recommended intake per meal. Almost half - 42 per cent - even exceeded the recommended intake for a full day.

According to Health Department guidelines, children only need half a teaspoon, or 1,000mg, of salt per day.