Salt Should Be Regulated Food Additive, Group Says

[Trillo]

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A consumer group sued the federal government Thursday, saying that salt is killing tens of thousands of Americans and that regulators have done too little to control salt in food.

>snip<

So the CSPI renewed a lawsuit first filed in 1983 to ask federal courts to force the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) to declare sodium a food additive instead of categorizing it as "generally recognized as safe." This would give the agency the authority to set limits for salt in foods.

"There is no way the FDA (news - web sites) can look at the science and say with a straight face that salt is 'generally recognized as safe,"' CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson said in a statement.

"In fact, salt is generally recognized as unsafe, because it is a major cause of heart attacks and stroke. The federal government should require food manufacturers to gradually lower their sodium levels."

Read more...




Great, now we won't be able to buy salt. Here's a little tidbit about salt for those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: "For those with demonstrated low blood pressure, increasing the amount of salt in the diet may be helpful."

[Megahurtz]

1. Oh give me a break!

That's all we need is for the UFFDA to be in total (totalitarian) control of everything we put into our mouths.

[trotsky]

2. Salt / sodium use is out of control in our food.

I have normal/borderline B.P. Not enough to need medication, most of the time it hovers around 120/80. But I do make purchasing decisions on food by checking the sodium content. Better to be safe than sorry, as they say.

It's astonishing how much sodium is in most foods. It just seems like there could be an effort to get that down and help millions of people.

[Megahurtz]

8. Maybe so, but

this should be up to the decision of the individual person of how much salt to eat. Salt is not in and of itself dangerous.

Frankly, I feel that there is too much added sugar in foods for my taste. My opinion is that if I want sugar, I'll eat dessert. In this case, healthwise, what about people with Diabetes?

My point is, is all of this can get easily get out of control. They don't want to provide inexpensive health care for all, but they want to force everyone to visit a doctor for permission for everything!

It sickens me everytime I see so many TV commercials pushing corporate prescription drugs :puke:
Remember, "ask your doctor" for eveything!

Fuck that!

I'm sorry, but I believe that people should take a little more responsibility for what they choose to put in their own mouths so they won't ruin it for everyone else.

If you don't want salt, don't eat it!

[gatlingforme]

15. I think people should take responsiblity for themselves here this

is rediculous. It brings a picture to mind of a fat guy going to MacDonalds and supersizing his meal then crying because the government did not tell him to stop eating fatty foods.

[jswordy]

17. You know, it is obvious you don't have to control your salt intake...

...because of high blood pressure like I do. If you did, you would not make such asinine statements. The RDA of salt less than 2,400 mg. In the UK, it is less than 1,600 mg.

If you eat a couple of Egg McMuffins for breakfast, you have reached the UK RDA for the WHOLE DAY! Drink some Diet 7-Up with that, and you are 45 mg over the UK limit, at breakfast. You are only 755 mg from the DAILY U.S. RDA!!!

Salt is ubiqitous in our processed foods, and rarely is there much that is not processed in one way or another in the American diet. It is EXTREMELY HARD (and I know this from personal experience) to maintain a very low sodium diet in this country.

I have to work very hard at maintaining a low salt diet, in an atmosphere that continually offers me foods that are unhealthy for me. So saying it is a matter of personal irresponsibility just doesn't cut it.

Choices are extremely limited for those of us on low-sodium regiments. And if you eat at a sit-down restaraunt, you will have NO IDEA how much salt is being used.

The fact is, salt is a cheap flavoring that can make bland processed crap taste like something. It is overused in our society, and it is one of the chief contributors to our high rate of hypertension and consequent heart disease.

Simply foisting the problem off as personal irresponsibility doesn't cut it.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[gatlingforme]

24. I am not. Where do you see me being judgemental.? I replied

to that persons post and stated I thought that person was being responsible (as I think more should)

[Briar]

39. Hear Hear!

Excellent post. My GP would be applauding you too. Your inclusion of 7-Up illustrates the problem perfectly. Food manufacturers dump salt in everything, even soft drinks.

[Justin54B20L]

3. "Demolition Man" anyone?

[ewagner]

4. I know what they're talking about......

After my heart attack I had to go on a diet which limited me to 2400mg of sodium per day.....

try doing that....

it's not easy.

I have been startled to find out how much sodium is in everything we eat....a slice of white bread for example may have 150 mg of sodium in it...a hot dog bun has 210 mg.....

Take a quick look at the "nutrition" information at McDonalds, Burger King and yes, even Arby's.....check out how much sodium is in each of their menu items.....

high blood pressure is no laughing matter.....controlling salt intake is a good way to control it......

regulate it?

I think it's impossible....we need a little personal responsibility and self-control on diet issues....as long as the public is making an informed choice that's all we can ask for.

[Megahurtz]

9. Right on.

"Personal responsibility and self-control on diet issues" I agree.

And if people are worried about their health, try reading up on nutrition. There's a whole lot of helpful information out there.

[ewagner]

11. I believe the very basis

of Democracy is the concept of INFORMED CONSENT.

That is, you KNOW what you are buying or getting into and you do so willingly.....with consent......

[DemoTex]

12. Many Americans equate "tastes good" with saltiness.

I have high blood pressure so I pretty much cut out sodium to the extent that it is possible. Table salt at home is verboten. I prepare most of my food from scratch using fresh ingredients. That way I can control the salt. If I buy canned goods I look for the reduced sodium variety.

I have found some canned goods (especially soups) nearly inedible because of the salt. A good example is Campbell's Manhattan Style Clam Chowder. I bought a can recently without thinking, because I love Manhattan clam chowder. I heated it up and added a small can of minced clams. It was so salty I had to throw it out. Of course, when you have pretty much given up salt any over-salted food is disgusting.

When I eat out I request unsalted food. I usually get several lemon wedges to squeeze on what would normally be salted. I do make one exception, however. I eat breakfast out about once every two months and I do love my scrambled eggs with a pinch of salt. At least I no longer eat country ham (Smithfield brand country ham has 2200 mg of sodium per 3-oz serving - 92% of the RDA!).

http://www.saltfree.com/

[ewagner]

14. I know about the ham

our favorite Kraus Polish Ham is the leanest you can find as far as fat is concerned, but it still has over 700 mg of sodium per serving.....my wife's family is 100% Polish and that ham is sort of an Easter Tradition....don't know what we're going to do this year...

btw:

I love that picture of the P2V.....my Dad spent some time in those but during that era spent more time in the North American AJ-2 (Savage), then the Douglas A3D Skywarrior, and finally the North American A3 Vigilante. He retired in '63.

[bleedingheart]

40. A lot of "fat free" stuff is loaded with salt to give it taste...

it is actually quite hard to live on a salt free or very low salt diet if medically necessary.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

48. Even "health" foods...

I'm not on a restricted diet; but I've noticed that a number of veggie-meats and energy bars are very high in sodium.

People need to be careful not to be fooled by the name of the product or its packaging.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. While CSPI is generally a credible group, salt is LOW on the list of MAJOR

causes for heart attack and stroke.
The number one risk factor (since the actual CAUSE is still unknown) for coronary artery disease is heredity, and CAD is the number one cause of myocardial infarction AKA heart attacks.

The primary risk for strokes is uncontrolled hypertension.

[Skittles]

35. I think lack of exercise is a big reason too

people need to GET MOVING

[DemoTex]

43. But, but, but ... I'm confused.

"The primary risk for strokes is uncontrolled hypertension." That is my primary diagnosis: uncontrolled hypertension. High B/P is constantly mentioned as a major contributor to stroke and heart disease, along with high cholesterol, and smoking. My mom and dad both have hypertension, as do two younger sisters. The heredity overlay is, in my opinion, the primary cause of the disease that yanked me out of my captain's seat in a MD-80 36 months ago.

Salt (sodium) exacerbates hypertension, and can result in benign hypertension developing into uncontrolled hypertension. The withdrawal of sodium can have a more dramatic effect on high b/p than b/p meds, especially when it is part of a complete dietary and exercise regime.

I am no MD. But I am parroting the spiel of a protege of Norman Kaplan (Ron Victor, MD), one of the most respected blood pressure specialists in the country at the UTSW Medical Center in Dallas. I am on his program. Kaplan had a paper in the NEJM a couple of years ago extolling the efficacy of the old beta-blocker atenolol, especially when prescribed along with the diuretic diazyde. That combo is a godsend for me. Not only does it cost only pennies a day, but atenolol is the only one of several dozen b/p meds that I have taken that I can tolerate. ALL of the others induce wicked bronchitis.

Mac


My old office.

[KDLarsen]

44. Looks more like a MD90 to me..

.. but I may have my MDD's mixed up here - I thought the MD90 was the only one to be fitted with EFIS.

[DemoTex]

45. I would expect to see five 5x5 screens with EFIS

Two on each side and one in the middle. I think some MD-88's (generically speaking) had some fairly high-tech (for a low-tech airplane) ADI's and the such .. but not full-blown EFIS. I think you are right that the MD-90 (same airplane, really) had EFIS. The MD-95 (aka the Boeing 717) certainly did. BTW: My type rating to fly the entire MD-80 series reads: DC-9.

Mac

[KDLarsen]

46. It makes sense re: the type rating

IIRC, the official name for the entire MD8x series was "DC-9-8x". But re: EFIS, come to think of it, I think Saudi Arabian Airlines was the only one to recieve EFIS on their MD90's. I don't my "local" airlines (SAS) did - and they're about to phase it out :( Fortunately, a serious part of their fleet is made up from the MD8x, so they're going to be around for a while :D

[DemoTex]

47. I used to jump-seat on Delta MD-90's from DFW to DCA.

They did not have EFIS, but they did have some funky digital ADI's and the works. Based on that, this is a MD-90 cockpit. Max Nix, EFIS was a new dress on and old whore. I hated the MD-80. Too much Boeing and Lockheed in my blood!

Mac

[DemoTex]

49. Well, they really are not that bad ...as airplanes ... MD-80s.

But pilots and passengers hate them! I do. Give me a B-737 varient any day of the week.
Mac


MD-80

[DustMolecule]

6. I recall reading a study some time ago

That a salt-restricted diet is only helpful for a minority of people with high blood pressure (something like 30%). However, salt-restricted diets are still recommended for ALL people with high blood pressure because, it can't hurt and the person MIGHT be in the 30% group that it can help.

If the study I read was true, then these people trying to sue are over-emphasizing the negative effects of salt on the population. Also, it seems like there are a lot of other harmful food substances/additives that would be "more worthy of going after" than salt. And, let's not forget about testing all American cattle for Mad Cow?

[Dr.Phool]

7. My doctor put me on a 2000mg sodium diet

For my high blood pressure.

The first thing I found out was there was nothing in my cupboard I could eat. Canned soup, veggies, etc.

[ewagner]

10. Canned soup

especially chicken soup.....was a shocker....over 800 mg of sodium per serving...........

I was really addicted to salt....I salted EVERYTHING! One of my favorite sandwiches was swiss cheese and tomato with mayonaise and lots of salt.......

Pizza slices tasted better with a dash of salt!

I enjoyed a salted fired chicken leg as a SNACK!!!

<sigh> I miss it a lot......

[Megahurtz]

16. One thing that

I learned in nutrition is that a person needs a balance of sodium and potassium in the body.

I don't have any links right now, but this information may be helpful to people who have problems with too much salt.

[Retrograde]

27. make your own

every six months or so I make up a large batch of chicken stock and freeze or can it (freezing is much easier) so I always have some on hand to make soups, etc. I also do the same with tomato sauce when the weather cooperates and my tomatoes decide to produce. Besides feeling virtuous and thrifty, I also know exactly what went into it, and I can always add a pinch or two of salt later on if the dish really needs it - when you're not used to over-salted food a little NaCl goes a long way.

[ewagner]

30. Thanks

A relative gave me a hint for making turkey stock for soup but it works well on chicken too...

when you've finished taking meat off the carcass, flaten the carcass and put it on a piece of tinfoil on a flat pan in the oven....bake it until the juices carmelize and then take it out....place the carcass and carmelized bits in a large pot, fill with water and boil it down until you have a rich broth.....

works pretty good....

[franmarz]

13. I agree that salt is unregulated---

There is so much salt in everything because it adds flavor. The government should look into the ingredients and LIST THEM, as such--additives. Some people dont know that there are different names for salt-sodium---

[Trillo]

26. Salt is also used as a food preservative

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=salt+as+preservative&btnG=Google+Search

Regulating salt in packaged foods might present a boon to manufacturers of other synthetic preservatives. Perhaps sulfur dioxide or ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) might be good salt replacements?

I wonder if those chemicals are as inexpensive as salt. Perhaps food prices will be increasing....

[KurtNYC]

28. My understanding of the labeling laws is that

the label must include total sodium content which means everything including naturally occuring sodium is in the number.

[Behind the Aegis]

20. Like smoking, maybe...

...companies will start testing for sodium levels. PUT THAT SHAKER DOWN! It could cost you your job!

[KittyWampus]

21. "We Won't Be Able To Buy Salt". No One Said That Or Implied That

Maybe packaging should not only label how much sodium its product contains but show how much its sodium fills up daily requirements... like a little thermometer graphic or something.

[Katarina]

22. How about instead

they do something about fucking corn syrup in every single product you buy at the store. There's the health problem in this country.

[Megahurtz]

25. I would rather that they

take away the added sugar, instead of the salt, if they are going to take away anything.

[Blue_Tires]

23. then sugar has to be next

too much salt and sugar are killers, plain and simple

[expatriot]

32. First they came for the salt, and I did nothing... because salt wasn't....

my favorite.

[Lorien]

42. Yep, corn syrup too

every time I come back from Europe, I really notice how over salted and horribly sweet foods are in in the US of A.

[On the Road]

29. Actually, This Might Not be a Bad Idea

Looks like all they're proposing is to set limits for how salty prepared food can be. It's hard to escape prepared foods. Most of them are too salty, and your taste buds tend to become accusomted to high salt levels.

Pople could add salt on their own if they like. The overall effect would be to reduce the nation's salt intake.

[expatriot]

31. Oh god, don't let my wife see this.

She is already a food nazi enough and salt was already next on her "ridding food of the finer things" list... this would only encourage her zealotry.

[seriousstan]

33. Mommy CSPI, may I have some FUCKING SALT IN MY FOOD???

[seriousstan]

34. Here are some qoutes from their executive director....

"We could envision taxes on butter, potato chips, whole milk, cheeses, meat."
- Jacobson, quoted in the Newark Star-Ledger on April 30, 2002

"Television is an increasingly well-established risk factor for obesity and its health consequences... The Surgeon General could announce a campaign to reduce television watching."
- Nestle and Jacobson, Public Health Reports, Jan./Feb. 2000

Who died and made this asshole our mother?

[depakid]

37. Nothing wrong with these ideas

Just because you whine about them, doesn't mean they don't make sense in the abstract. Putting a tax on foods with a high fat content is one way to recoup costs externalized on society by their manufacturers.

Maybe if you studied a little more economics and watched less TV, you might understand what Jacobson is talking about.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. I favor sin taxes...money is a great way to modify harmful behavior

while paying to reimburse society for the ills associated with it.

[Ilsa]

36. Salt probably gives many foods a longer shelf life.

That's why I buy salted butter. (I'm not giving up my butter!)

People need to be able to afford fresher foods instead of all of the cheap highly processed junk that poisons their bodies.

I ran into my niece at the grocery store last month, and asked her if she had tried a particular type of apple. She said no, because they can't afford any fresh food. They have a limited income while she is in college, and they are paying off some debt related to a bad business decision she made several years ago. I asked her what she was going to buy and it was large chubs of ground meat and boxes of hamburger helper. I bought her some fresh fruits and vegetables, various dried pastas, and some paper goods. She was very appreciative at having some good food to cook for a change.

I think packaging needs to properly reflect sodium content, but I don't want some nazi controlling my salt.

[JPace]

41. Salt is wonderful stuff.....

for most people and then only if you get the "right" salt. Some people are salt sensitive and should use very little but for most there is no problem. Most people use processed salt, they are missing the experience of really great natural salt that has all the health giving trace minerals that the body craves. Processed salt also has chemical additives (who needs them?). I use Celtic Sea Salt, if you want to return to wholesome unprocessed natural salt read about it here http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/salt.htm

You can purchase it at health food stores.

[distantearlywarning]

50. I am completely addicted to salt. Trying to make me give it up

is a hopeless cause. I would take salt over sugar anyday.

Interestingly enough, not only do I not have high blood pressure, I actually have very low blood pressure. More than one concerned nurse has asked me at the doctors office if I "feel ok today" because of a shockingly low BP reading (like lower than 90/60).

This even causes problems for me sometimes because I have a tendency to get faint when I don't eat breakfast and in other similar situations.

It's funny, because I'm 20 lbs overweight, and they can never understand at the doctor's office why my BP and resting heart rate measurements never match up to what they would like to believe about overweight people!

Just goes to show you that exercise really helps, I guess, even if you don't lose weight doing it! Fat but fit - that's my motto. :-) I might not have a "good" BMI, but I can still run up 3 flights of stairs without breathing hard!

But please, people, don't take away my salt! God knows what my BP would be if I couldn't be a salt addict any more...

[BiggJawn]

51. Hey, Jacobson! Will you tuck me in and read me a story-bed?

You wanna be my fucking Nanny, be it all the way, dude.
I already control and watch my sodium intake because of my hypertension.

It's called Personal Responsibility.

Y'know, if you consume too much WATER you'll die, too. Guess they'll make THAT an regulated additive soon, too.