The Ingredient That Makes American Fast Food Chains Different From European Versions

Italy may excel in the art of pasta-making, and France may be renowned for their production of world-class pastries, but here in America, fast food is the heart of our culinary claim to fame. While major fast food chains, like Mcdonalds and Burger King, can be found in countries around the globe, the food served in American locations has a little extra something that other countries don't: copious amounts of salt.

While it shouldn't be terribly surprising that our burgers and fries are riddled with added salt, the food coming out of American fast food joints is exponentially saltier than that of our international counterparts. After examining the salt content of thousands of fast food items offered at six well-known fast food chains across America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, researchers who participated in a 2012 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal discovered that, despite being marketed as the same products, the American version of many food items contain significantly higher levels of sodium.

More than just an extra pinch of salt, the study revealed that the American iteration of some food items, like chicken McNuggets, contain nearly three times the amount of salt per gram than the U.K. version. With stats like those, it's not hard to understand how 90% of Americans consume well over the recommended 2,300 milligrams of salt per day.

Beyond its ability to enhance the flavor of food, salt also has the capacity to extend the shelf life of food by keeping bacteria at bay. For this reason, salt is an obvious choice for fast food restaurants. What some experts struggle to wrap their heads around, however, is the reason behind the increasing levels of salt in American fast food. A 2019 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed that between 1986 and 2016, fast-food joints increased the amount of salt in their food items by an average of 50%. As such, one fast food meal alone could put you well over the recommended daily intake of salt.

Because many experts believe that too much salt can have a negative impact on our health, some countries, like the U.K., have already begun enacting a voluntary initiative to decrease the amount of salt in processed foods. In the United States, the New York City Department of Health enacted the National Salt Reduction Initiative — a program designed to help willing restaurants and food manufacturers reduce the amount of salt in their products. Thus far, 30 companies have jumped on board, according to Good Morning America. But is reducing the amount of salt we consume really necessary?

For years, we have been inundated with information from every angle about the health implications that can come with consuming too much salt. Prominent health organizations have long linked excessive salt intake to frightening conditions like heart disease, stroke, and hypertension. In recent years, however, the narrative has begun to shift, creating a divide in the medical community.

In a 2016 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers from Columbia University and Boston University examined 269 academic articles written on the subject of salt intake between 1979 and 2014. They discovered that while 54% of the articles supported the idea that salt produced negative health outcomes, 33% refuted the conclusion, and 13% were inconclusive.

In order for our bodies to function properly, we are required to consume a certain amount of salt daily. As an electrolyte, when salt is dissolved in the bloodstream, it is broken down into positively and negatively charged ions that supply our brains, hearts, muscles, and nervous systems with the electrical charge they need to perform. What's more, without salt, our bodies would be incapable of maintaining the balance of fluids and minerals between our cells and tissues. And while too much salt has been associated with negative health consequences like heart disease, stroke, and hypertension, many studies have concluded that even those who consume the usual — and even higher than the usual — amount of salt can do so without doing harm to their bodies, according to Single Care.