A nutritionist has cautioned about the dangers of excessive consumption of corned beef which can become risk factors for noncommunicable diseases.

Corned beef is considered a staple for many Samoan households and is also known as "pisupo" which is a popular Samoan dish. Large tins of corned beef are also used in fa'alavelave (traditional ceremonial practices) exchanges, confirming their transition into modern-day Samoan traditional culture.

However, Suva-based nutritionist Vittoria Pasca, who has done work in Samoa, told the Samoa Observer on Saturday that corned beef is generally high in fat, cholesterol and saturated fat, whose consumption can contribute to increasing a person's level of blood cholesterol and LDL [low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol.

She said these are risk factors for obesity and NCDs such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes as well as some types of cancer. 

"Most brands of corned beef contain high amounts of salt (also called sodium), which contributes to raising blood pressure thus increasing the risk of heart disease," said Ms. Pasca. "Excess salt consumption has recently been linked to stomach cancer too.

"Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has added processed meats (like corned beef, sausages or ham) to the list of foods and other agents that can cause cancer, especially when eaten regularly and in high quantities.

"However, how much of these 'unsuitable' nutrients you will get from corned beef really depends on the quantity you eat. It's important to be aware that the serving size displayed by producers sometimes fails to capture the real eating habits of people in our region."

As an example, Ms. Pasca said some brands' tins of corned beef (~326g) which contain six (6) servings with each serving weighing between 50 and 60g. 

"But my bet would be that most people eat much more than this, at least half to 1 entire tin!" she said. "To understand the practical implications of what I'm saying, let's take the example of a brand containing 750mg of sodium per 100g of corned beef. 

"If you stick to a serving size of 50g, then you'll eat 375mg of sodium, which is quite reasonable. However, if you eat the entire tin (326g), then your sodium intake just from that single food will be 2,445mg, more than the maximum total amount you should get per day from all of our meals (WHO for example recommends that we should eat less than 2,000mg of sodium per day)."

But all is not lost for Samoans who love their corned beef and want to continue to consume it, as Ms. Pasca said she recommends "smaller servings" and they only indulge occasionally.

"For corned beef lovers who wish to continue eating this food, my recommendation would be that they eat this food only occasionally and stick to smaller servings. 

"For example, a small portion of corned beef could be eaten together with lots of local greens (like taro leaves or another leafy green) and a starchy crop like sweet potato or taro."

However, if one is to look at the big picture issue when it comes to the dangers of consuming red meat including corned beef, the nutritionist said health recommendations are for a general reduction in their consumption and expanding one's variety of protein sources. 

"To increase the variety of our protein sources, we should include in our weekly diet several servings of legumes (beans, lentils, dhal or peas), nuts or seeds, which in addition to fish, are suitable options to replace red and processed meat."

According to the Samoa-WHO Country Strategy 2018–2022, NCDs are the main cause of premature mortality and morbidity which are linked to a high prevalence of key risk factors. The WHO document stated that in 2013, half of Samoa's adult population (ages 18–64) was in the high-risk category of developing an NCD with dietary factors as a major contributor.