Salty fast food under fire

LONDON, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A British watchdog group says fast food restaurants use way too much salt.

The group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) surveyed 346 food and beverage items from Burger King, KFC, McDonald's and Pizza Hut, The (London) Independent said Friday.

McDonald's had the lowest sodium count, with no individual products or meals exceeding the 6 gram a day maximum for adults. Very salty meals were found at KFC, Burger King and especially at Pizza Hut, where a family meal for four contained an average of 12.3 grams per portion -- four times a young child's daily limit, the newspaper said.

The group said excess salt is estimated to kill thousands of Britons every year.