Many people using stock cubes in their cooking but most have no idea what is actually in them – including the ingredient that makes up 50% of their weight. A survey byFrejafound64% of people say a stoick cube is their number one method of adding flavour but 79% are unaware of the main ingredient.
Just 5% of those surveyed knew that a stock cube can contain up to 50% salt. The majority believed that stock cubes contain 10% salt.
The recommended daily salt intake for an adult is 6g while children under one should consume less than 1g but the survey also showed that people overestimate how much salt is good for you.
“Stock cubes are packed with processed ingredients with salt being the major ingredient,” says Jess Higgins who co-founded Freja with her husband Ed. “One of the most popular stock cubes on the market today contains no actual stock and is heavily flavoured with monosodium glutamate and other artificial flavours. Most contain no real meat at all.”
Just 21% of those surveyed knew that stock cubes contain MSG, 15% correctly identified acidity regulator as an ingredient, 15% realised that they contain palm oil and only 5% knew that they sometimes contain Disodium 5-ribonucleotides a flavour enhancer that can cause allergic reactions in some people.
7% of those surveyed believed that stock cubes contain collagen, a protein essential for healthy skin and joints when they don’t contain any.
“Stock should be rich in collagen, protein and amino acids. It was originally made by making a broth from meat bones, but commercially available stocks have a poor nutritional profile with no functional benefits (such as collagen or protein), a lack of focus on sustainability as well as various allergens and a high salt content,” says Ed Armitage.
56% of those surveyed use highly processed stock because it is quick and easy, 47% because it enhances flavour and 44% because their parents and carers used it.