Portuguese Retailer Continente extended its range of Equilíbrio soups to include SKUs without added salt, colorings or preservatives.

Additions include watercress and cilantro soups, cream of carrots, mint and ginger seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices.

Produced in Portugal from quality fresh vegetables and extra virgin olive oil, the soups are available in Continente stores as well as online, in family packs of 800 grams, priced at € 2.49.

The retailer added that consuming too much salt, amounting to more than 5 grams per day, poses health risks.

Better nutrition

As the leading food distribution brand in Portugal, Continente is committed to improving the nutritional composition of its products to help reduce the excessive consumption of sugars, salt and fats.

Mayumi Thais Delgado, nutritionist at Continente, explained: “In order to help fight against excessive salt consumption by the Portuguese, the new Continente Equilíbrio soups have been developed without any addition of salt, but retaining all the flavor thanks to adding aromatic herbs and spices.

“The entire range of the brand’s soups also reduces the salt content of its recipes, in order to integrate them into a balanced diet meeting the DGS’s objective of reducing, on average, 0.3 g of salt. per 100 g by 2023. “

Other initiatives

Continente has gradually reduced the salt content of its entire line of soups.

Currently, more than 15 products in its range are already low in salt, reaching the target of 0.3 grams of salt per 100 grams.

By 2022, the retailer plans to reduce around 4 tonnes of salt in Continente soups.

Over the past two years, Continente has entered into nutritional optimization plans for more than 200 products, resulting in annual reductions of 650 tonnes of sugar, 85 tonnes of salt and 385 tonnes of saturated fat.

The range includes reformulated yogurts, cereals, cookies, soft drinks, fries, tomato pulp and soups to go.

According to Ana Alves, Commercial and Private Label Director of Continente, Continente seeks to continuously improve the nutritional composition of its products.

“The Continente Equilíbrio brand is unique in the national market for presenting a wide and differentiating offer of nutritionally balanced products that enhance taste and are accessible to everyone, always at the lowest prices. you don’t have to choose between taste, healthy eating or price, ”Alves added.