JD Wetherspoon is one of 16 pub chains to come underfire for having too much salt in puddings PA

ONE in three puddings served in London pubs contains as much salt as two bags of crisps, a health survey revealed today.

Desserts - even though they are sweet - contain a lot of hidden salt with traditional favourite sticky toffee pudding being the worst offender.

Analysts from Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) lifted the lid on the saltiest pub grub in the capital.

A portion of sticky toffee pudding served at the Goldengrove, a JD Wetherspoon pub in Newham, east London, contained 1.95g of salt - equivalent to two-thirds of the recommended daily intake.

A third of desserts sampled contained more than 1g of salt, the same as two packets of crisps.

More than 50 popular dishes served 16 popular pub chains in London - including Pitcher and Piano, JD Wetherspoon and O’Neill's - were analysed in laboratories for the first time for salt, saturated fat and calorie content.

CASH nutritionist Carrie Bolt said: “I think that customers would be shocked by how much salt is in their favourite meals, and in particular in their desserts as these taste sweet.

“How many people would guess a sticky toffee pudding could contain as much as 1.95g salt, equivalent to two rashers of bacon?”

But JD Wetherspoon's spokesman Eddie Gershon claimed people should be given the information but left to make their own choice.

“We accept the report does have a point. But the information on the calories, salt and everything else in the pub is available in a booklet which should be on every table," he said. "We trust people to make their own decision as to whether they want sticky toffee pudding or not.”

1. Sticky toffee pudding - The Goldengrove, JD Wetherspoon, Stratford 1.95g

2. Hot chocolate fudge cake - O'Neill's, Ealing 1.75g

3. Sticky toffee pudding - Jim Thompson's, Putney 1.40g

4. Sticky toffee pudding - Pitcher and Piano, Richmond 1.11g

5. Sticky toffee pudding - Browns Bar and Brasserie, Shad Thames 1.08g

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