NSC English FAL Comprehension: Read BOTH TEXT A and TEXT B and

Question

Read BOTH TEXT A and TEXT B and answer the set questions.

TEXT A

WITH A PINCH OF SALT

South Africans just love fast foods. Many believe that there is nothing wrong with fast foods and that too much of a fuss is made about nutrition.

A study by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) Surveys shows that half of South Africans treat their health casually and that 62% are not interested in health or nutrition issues. South Africans rather buy fast foods than cook fresh meals.

Fast foods are generally processed and have a high salt content. A recent international survey by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) was conducted on leading fast food outlets. This finding suggested that children could at times be consuming three times more salt in fast foods than is actually required.

Salt is regarded as the main factor contributing to high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure. The survey by WASH, which analysed salt content in children’s meals in 37 countries, has ranked South Africa among the top ten nations for having the saltiest children’s fast food meals.

Popular franchises like KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway were among those surveyed. Conducted in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, the survey found South Africa’s KFC chicken burger and chips to be the saltiest globally, with a salt content of 2,891 grams. This is more than half a teaspoon per meal, and about three times more than the one gram of salt recommended per meal. South African McDonald’s chicken nugget meal also had a high amount of salt, with 1.67 grams. This ranked them the saltiest chicken nugget meal in the world after Turkey and Venezuela.

In addition, the survey showed that the salt content in fast foods varied significantly from country to country. Legislation on salt content was introduced earlier in some countries. The United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA) consistently had low salt content in most of their children’s meals, less than one gram. The McDonald’s chicken nugget meal in the UK had the lowest salt content at 0.78 grams.

The above facts has raised concern, prompting the South African Health Department to call for the country’s fast food outlets to reduce their salt content. The National Department of Health has also said that schools must implement nutrition strategies that promote healthy eating in children, and that the fast food outlets take a lead in reducing the amount of salt used during food preparation.

Christelle Crickmore from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, who helped to collect data from fast food outlets in South Africa, also raised concerns about the amount of salt in the country’s fast foods. “With South Africans having one of the highest rates of high blood pressure worldwide – and with one in ten children suffering from the disease – we simply cannot afford to allow such high levels of salt in popular children’s meals,” she said.

What is also cause for concern is the fact that 63% of parents admit that they have problems convincing their children to eat healthily. Most children choose food on taste, rather than on its perceived healthiness, and think healthy food does not taste good.

Salt Watch, a non-governmental organisation, was launched to educate South Africans on healthy foods and the dangers of high salt consumption. The group will complement the work done at government level. The South African Department of Health has been spearheading salt reduction campaigns for some time, stating in Parliament that the diet of South Africans is generally seen to be very high in salt; legislation was recently signed to make salt reduction in the diet a national priority.

Legislation alone is not going to lower salt consumption in South Africa and improve health. It will have to be a collaborative effort between government, health authorities and the food industry. The people of South Africa also have a role to play. They have to start choosing products with a lower salt content and use less salt at the table and when cooking. Children need to be taught to eat healthily from an early age.

[Adapted from Daily News, 20 August 2015 and saltwatch.co.za]

Refer to the illustration above (TEXT B).

Read BOTH TEXT A and TEXT B and answer the set questions - NSC English FAL - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Read BOTH TEXT A and TEXT B and answer the set questions - NSC English FAL - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1

Name TWO beliefs that South Africans have about fast foods.

Identify the TWO organisations that worked together on a study which surveyed the salt content in children’s fast food meals in South Africa.

Quote a SINGLE word (paragraph 3) to prove that the WASH survey was not conducted only in South Africa.

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