Gravy: a salt story and a food safety story

None of the studies behind this page fed anyone gravy. What they measured is salt, and gravy as one line in a food diary. In adults in Victoria, Australia, gravies and savoury sauces supplied 7 percent of the sodium people ate, the same share as processed meats, in a group whose urine showed about 8.1 g of salt a day against a 5 g target. The WHO puts bouillon cubes, powdered broths, soups and gravies in the second saltiest food group of its table, at about 20,000 mg of sodium per 100 g, and warns that products inside that group vary a lot. That number belongs to the whole group, cubes and powders included, and we hold no card for the sodium in a gravy as it reaches the plate. The salt half of the story is well tested. Across 133 randomised trials in 12,197 adults, every 50 mmol less sodium a day went with systolic pressure 1.10 mm Hg lower, and the drop was bigger in older people and in those whose pressure started high. The other half is food poisoning. CDC lists gravy next to meat and poultry as a usual carrier of Clostridium perfringens, a bacterium that does well in big batches kept warm. A care home outbreak in England that made 15 residents ill traced back to pie and gravy that had been cooked, cooled and reheated over several days.

The numbers, per 100 g

How much is actually in it

• Under US labelling rules a gravy can never count as a main dish or meal product: 21 CFR 101.13 excludes sauces, gravies and condiments from the foods that make up such a product, so the per-dish nutrient claims do not apply to it. — foods labelled in the United States under 21 CFR 101 Evidence E source
  Gravies excluded, with sauces, condiments, relishes, pickles, olives, jams, jellies, syrups, breadings and garnishes, from the food components that define a main dish or meal product
• The WHO 2012 sodium guideline puts bouillon cubes, powdered broths, soups and gravies in the second-saltiest food group of its table, at about 20,000 mg sodium per 100 g, while warning that sodium varies a lot within each group. — Global food composition data summarised by WHO (n = -) Evidence E source
  About 20,000 mg sodium per 100 g for the group, second only to table salt at 38,000

What a real portion looks like

• In 142 Victorian adults with 24-hour recalls, gravies and savoury sauces supplied 7% of dietary sodium, the same share as processed meats, in a population whose urine showed about 8.1 g of salt a day, about 8.9 g after adjustment. — 338 adults (mean age 41) with 24-h urine and 142 with 24-h recall, Victoria, Australia, 2016 to 2017 (n = 142 recalls, 338 urines) Evidence C source
  Gravies and savoury sauces 7% of sodium; cereal-based mixed dishes 12%, breads 9% and 9%, processed meats 7%; salt equivalent 8.1 g/d urinary, about 8.9 g/d adjusted; 38% from discretionary foods, half from ultra-processed foods

What cooking and storage change

• A model built from published heat-kill data predicts how Clostridium perfringens vegetative cells die during the final reheating of beef-in-sauce dishes in a French hospital, and was used to test control measures easier to apply than French regulations. — published thermal inactivation data for C. perfringens, applied to temperature profiles recorded inside two beef-in-sauce hospital dishes Evidence D source
  Mixed-effects model with three random effects (culture conditions, strain, other factors) for the decimal reduction time; validated on non-isothermal published data

What it does to your health

• Across 133 randomised trials with 12,197 adults, each 50 mmol (about 1.15 g) less sodium excreted per day went with a 1.10 mm Hg lower systolic pressure, and the fall was larger in older people and in those with higher pressure to start with. — 12,197 adults in 133 randomised trials with 24-hour urinary sodium, hypertensive and non-hypertensive, searches to January 2019 (n = 133 trials) Evidence A source
  Mean reduction 130 mmol sodium/24 h gave SBP -4.26 mm Hg (95% CI 3.62 to 4.89) and DBP -2.07 (1.67 to 2.48); per 50 mmol: SBP -1.10 (0.66 to 1.54), DBP -0.33 (0.04 to 0.63); trials under 15 days show half the effect
• A 2026 meta-analysis of 43 randomised trials from 1983 to 2024 found a graded association: intakes above 15 g of salt a day sat with higher blood pressure, and intakes below 5 g with the largest reductions, though study-level continuous trends were not significant. — adults in 43 randomised controlled trials, nine databases searched to December 2024, no language restriction (n = 43 trials) Evidence A source
  Graded association across categories high over 15 g/d, moderate 5 to 15 g/d, low under 5 g/d salt; exploratory continuous meta-regression not statistically significant
• In the CALERIE 2 trial of 220 healthy adults, the calorie restriction group reached 15.2% restriction and lost 8.3 kg, and eating less sauces, dressings and gravy was among the diet changes most strongly linked to how much restriction people achieved. — 220 healthy non-obese adults, 12 months, 6-day diet records (n = 220) Evidence C source
  15.2% calorie restriction, -8.3 kg; lower sauces/dressings/gravy among strongest correlates of restriction
• In a 6-week remote weight-loss trial in 122 adults with overweight or obesity, intake of sauces and gravy fell from 18.8 g to 10.0 g a day (-46.8%) across all three arms. — 122 adults with overweight or obesity motivated to lose weight, fully online (n = 122) Evidence C source
  Sauces and gravy 18.8 g vs 10.0 g per day, -46.8%, in all arms

Safety, limits and interactions

• A Clostridium perfringens outbreak that sickened 15 care-home residents in North East England was linked to mince pie and gravy that had been cooked, cooled, reheated and served again over several days, and the operator was convicted. — residents of one care home in North East England, retrospective cohort, faecal samples with enterotoxin gene (n = 15 ill) Evidence C source
  Point-source epidemic curve; illness associated with mince and vegetable pie and/or gravy; four faecal isolates indistinguishable by fAFLP; three food hygiene convictions
• CDC names gravy alongside poultry and meat as a food commonly linked to Clostridium perfringens poisoning, estimates nearly 1 million such illnesses a year in the United States, and ties most outbreaks to large batches held between 40°F and 140°F. — United States, CDC estimate of foodborne illness Evidence E source
  Nearly 1 million C. perfringens foodborne illnesses per year; foods commonly linked: poultry, meat, gravy; outbreaks mostly in November and December from holiday foods
• Pooling 476 heat-kill values for 76 Listeria strains, a 2025 model gives inactivation parameters for sauces and gravies between 55 and 70°C and pH 3 to 8, and finds more variation between studies than between strains. — 476 D-values for 76 Listeria strains in liquid media from 27 articles (n = 476 D-values) Evidence D source
  Hierarchical Bayesian estimates of D-, zT- and zpH-values across 55-70°C and pH 3-8; study-to-study variability exceeded strain-to-strain

Who this works differently for

• Teaching home cooks to cut salt and to weigh salty condiments for 12 months lowered urinary sodium by 337 mg a day and systolic pressure by 2.0 mm Hg in 1,576 Chinese adults across 60 communities. — 1,576 adults from 788 families in 60 communities in six Chinese provinces, one home cook and one other adult per family, 2018 to 2019 (n = 1,576) Evidence B source
  24-h urinary sodium -336.8 mg (95% CI 127.9 to 545.7, p = 0.002); SBP -2.0 (0.4 to 3.5) and DBP -1.1 (0.1 to 2.0) mm Hg versus control at 12 months
• Among 114 healthy Hong Kong adults aged 50 and over, condiments supplied 42.4% of dietary sodium and soups another 13.5%, and only 22.8% of the group stayed under the WHO ceiling of 5 g of salt a day. — 114 community-dwelling Chinese adults, mean age 60.6, 55% women, baseline of an RCT, one 24-h urine and 3-day diet record (n = 114) Evidence C source
  Urinary sodium 2,876.6 ± 1,249.4 mg/d (7.3 g salt); condiments 42.4%, cereals 16.8%, soups 13.5% of dietary sodium; 22.8% met WHO under 5 g/d
• In 1,178 British 8-month-old babies fed in the early 1990s, 70% ate more than 400 mg sodium a day, the UK maximum for babies up to 12 months, and the saltiest quarter (mean 1,060 mg) often had salty flavourings such as yeast extract and gravy. The study did not measure how much of the sodium came from gravy. — 1,178 infants aged 8 months, ALSPAC cohort born 1991-1992, 3-day records (n = 1178) Evidence C source
  70% above 400 mg/d; top quartile mean 1,060 mg/d
• In 791 adults aged 85 and over in North East England, diets high in red meat, potato and gravy were linked to poorer cognition scores but not to faster cognitive decline over 5 years. — 302 men and 489 women aged 85+, Newcastle 85+ Study, 5-year follow-up (n = 791) Evidence C source
  Worse SMMSE (beta 0.09, P = 0.01) for the red meat, potato and gravy pattern; similar rate of decline
• In 4 rural Appalachian schools, gravy was among the top-ranked items on the breakfast menus served, not eaten, and in those menus fat supplied 43% of calories and saturated fat 15%. — Breakfast menus served to 4th and 5th graders in 4 rural East Tennessee schools (n = 4 schools) Evidence C source
  Fat 43% of breakfast calories, saturated fat 15%

What is still unknown

• A meta-analysis of 21 observational studies linked a western dietary pattern that includes high-fat gravy to higher depression risk, and its authors say trials and cohorts are still needed to confirm it. — 21 studies from 10 countries, literature to September 2016 (n = 21 studies) Evidence C source
  Western pattern associated with increased depression risk; no gravy-specific estimate

The bottom line

Make gravy fresh and eat it. Do not keep a big batch standing warm, and do not cool and reheat the same gravy over several days: that is how the care home outbreak happened. CDC ties most outbreaks to large batches held between 40°F and 140°F, roughly 4 to 60°C, which is exactly where a pan of gravy sits after a big family meal. Lab models of how Listeria and C. perfringens die when sauces are reheated exist, and they were built for hospital catering and industrial processing, so they say little about a pan on a home stove. On salt, one practical trial is worth knowing. Teaching home cooks in 60 Chinese communities to cut salt and to measure salty condiments lowered sodium by 337 mg a day and systolic pressure by 2.0 mm Hg over a year. That is a small effect for one person and a real one across a town. A 2026 meta-analysis of 43 trials found that lower salt intake went with larger falls in blood pressure, with the biggest in groups under 5 g a day. The smooth dose trend inside the studies was not statistically significant, so the exact shape of that curve is still open. Gravy also shows up in weight loss trials, only as a marker. People who cut sauces, dressings and gravy restricted more calories in CALERIE, and in a 6 week online trial gravy and sauce intake fell from 18.8 g to 10.0 g a day in every arm. Nobody tested whether dropping gravy alone moves weight. No card on this page measures a serving of gravy on its own: the surveys count gravies and savoury sauces together as one line in a food diary. Babies are where the salt matters most. Of 1,178 British 8 month olds fed in the early 1990s, 70 percent ate more than 400 mg of sodium a day, the UK maximum for babies up to 12 months, and the saltiest quarter often got flavourings like yeast extract and gravy. The study did not measure how much of the sodium came from gravy. Even so, keep gravy made from salty mixes off a baby's plate. The rest is unsettled. A diet heavy in red meat, potato and gravy went with lower cognition scores in people over 85, with the same rate of decline over five years. A western diet that includes high fat gravy was linked to depression across 21 observational studies, with no estimate for gravy on its own, and the authors themselves ask for trials. We have no card on gravy for people with kidney disease or on blood pressure medicines, so if either is you, ask the person treating you how much salt fits.

Sources

1. grav-c1-10 · regulation
   These foods shall not be sauces (except for foods in the above four food groups that are in the sauces) gravies, condiments, relishes, pickles, olives, jams, jellies, syrups, breadings, or garnishes
   21 CFR 101.13 Nutrient content claims, general principles · checked 2026-09-23
2. grv-b5-10 · guideline
   Bouillon cubes, powdered broths, soups, gravies ... 38,000 20,000 ... The sodium content varies substantially within the food groups and the table provides a relative comparison of average levels of sodium only.
   WHO Guideline: sodium intake for adults and children, 2012 · checked 2026-09-23
3. grav-c1-04 · cross-sectional survey
   Leading dietary sources of Na were cereal-based mixed dishes (12 %), English muffins, flat/savoury/sweet breads (9 %), regular breads/rolls (9 %), gravies and savoury sauces (7 %) and processed meats (7 %).
   Br J Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-23
4. grav-c1-08 · predictive microbiology model
   This model was then used to predict C. perfringens vegetative cell inactivation using temperature profiles inside beef-in-sauce products registered in a French hospital and to explore control measures easier to apply than French regulations.
   Int J Food Microbiol, 2012 · checked 2026-09-23
5. grav-c1-01 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Each 50 mmol reduction in 24 hour sodium excretion was associated with a 1.10 mm Hg (0.66 to 1.54; P<0.001) reduction in SBP and a 0.33 mm Hg (0.04 to 0.63; P=0.03) reduction in DBP.
   BMJ, 2020 · checked 2026-09-23
6. grav-c1-02 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Across 43 randomized controlled trials (1983-2024), higher amounts of salt intake were associated with higher BP, whereas lower intake was associated with larger BP reductions, demonstrating a graded association across intake categories.
   Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-09-23
7. grv-b5-01 · randomised controlled trial
   Compared to AL, CR participants achieved 15.2 ± 7.4%CR and lost 8.3 ± 3.1 kg. ... Greater protein intake and lower intake of sauces/dressings/gravy at 12 months, and change in polyunsaturated fat and greater decreases in sauces/dressings/gravy intake from baseline to 12 months were most strongly associated with %CR.
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-23
8. grv-b5-02 · randomised controlled trial
   All participants, irrespective of the intervention arm, reduced intake of unhealthy food groups, including ready-made meals (113.6 g vs 78.5 g, -30.9%); sauces and gravy (18.8 g vs 10.0 g, -46.8%)
   J Med Internet Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-23
9. grav-c1-06 · retrospective cohort study
   Results suggest that illness was associated with consumption of mince & vegetable pie and/or gravy. There were a number of issues with food served, in particular the mince products had been cooked, cooled, reheated and served again over a period of several days.
   J Public Health (Oxf), 2016 · checked 2026-09-23
10. grav-c1-07 · agency fact sheet
    CDC estimates that C. perfringens causes nearly 1 million foodborne illnesses in the United States each year...Most often foods cooked in large batches and held at unsafe temperatures (between 40°F and 140°F) are involved in outbreaks of C. perfringens food poisoning.
    CDC, About C. perfringens food poisoning, 2026 · checked 2026-09-23
11. grav-c1-09 · predictive microbiology meta-analysis
    The parameters estimated using the model for different strains of Listeria species may be applicable for processing aqueous foods such as milk and liquid products such as sauces and gravies across a temperature range of 55-70 °C and pH values of 3-8 units.
    Food Microbiol, 2025 · checked 2026-09-23
12. grav-c1-03 · cluster randomized controlled trial
    Compared with the control group, adjusted mixed linear model analysis showed that the 24 hour urinary sodium excretion in the intervention group was reduced by 336.8 (95% confidence interval 127.9 to 545.7) mg per 24 hours (P=0.002); the systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced by 2.0 (0.4 to 3.5) (P=0.01) and 1.1 (0.1 to 2.0) mm Hg (P=0.03), respectively
    BMJ, 2023 · checked 2026-09-23
13. grav-c1-05 · cross-sectional analysis
    The major food sources of dietary Na intake were condiments (42·4 %), cereals and their products (16·8 %) and soups (13·5 %).
    Public Health Nutr, 2021 · checked 2026-09-23
14. grv-b5-06 · cohort
    In the whole sample, 70% consumed in excess, of 400 mg sodium per day, the maximum UK recommendation for children up to age 12 months. The mean sodium intake for the highest quartile was 1060 mg per day. Infants in this quartile were often consuming cows' milk as a main drink; eating three times the amount of bread compared with the lowest quartile and used salty flavourings such as yeast extract and gravy.
    Eur J Clin Nutr, 2012 · checked 2026-09-23
15. grv-b5-07 · cohort
    Membership in DP1 and DP3 was associated with overall worse SMMSE scores (β = 0.09, P = 0.01 and β = 0.08, P = 0.02, respectively) than membership in DP2 after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, multimorbidity, and body mass index (BMI).
    J Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-09-23
16. grv-b5-08 · cross-sectional
    Total fat provided slightly less than half the calories (43%); 15% of calories were from saturated fat. The top-ranked foods for each meal component were biscuits, sausage, 2% milk, orange juice, and gravy.
    J Sch Health, 2008 · checked 2026-09-23
17. grv-b5-09 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    A dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains, sweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of depression. ... However, more randomized controlled trails and cohort studies are urgently required to confirm this findings.
    Psychiatry Res, 2017 · checked 2026-09-23