Chefs Call Proposed New York Salt Ban 'Absurd'

[Synicus Maximus]

Source: fox

MYFOXNY.COM - Some New York City chefs and restaurant owners are taking aim at a bill introduced in the New York Legislature that, if passed, would ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking.

"No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises," the bill, A. 10129 , states in part.

Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/new_york_state/chefs-call-proposed-new-york-salt-ban-absurd-20100310-akd

---

Yeah I know it is from Fox. But sometime even a blind pig finds an acorn. If you go to a really good restaurant they won't even have salt on the table.

[tazkcmo]

1. lol!

I hope this bill passes so I can hear how the food tastes like shit. Bland. Missing something.
Btw, the "really good" restaurant may or may not have salt on the table (neither does McDonald's) but that would be because the cook knows how to season (That would be salt and pepper) the food properly during preparation so none is needed at consumption. I won't even get into people's different likes and dislikes. I have worked in food service almost all my working years and have yet to see salt and pepper NOT go into a dish unless obviously not called for as in pudding or due to dietary restrictions of the customer. And a "really good" restaurant will make your meal w/o salt if requested.

[Synicus Maximus]

8. That's my point. If the food is seasoned properly there is no need for extra salt.

[tazkcmo]

11. What?

First of all, it says NO salt. "No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises," See?

Second, I like salt. Your no need is my need more. Individual tastes.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[comrade snarky]

38. "I hope you get a goiter"?

You win today's prize for most bizarre and unnecessary attack on another DUer!

What's the prize Bill?

Why, it's a firkin of salt Hank! Let's hear it for today's players!


Yaaaa!!!!!!

[tridim]

2. Obviously there are no former chefs on the NY legislature.

I'm trying to picture the outrage when people are served salt-free bread in a restaurant. :puke:

Might as well close every restaurant in the city because nobody will eat out.

[tazkcmo]

4. Chef shmef...

Even the dishwasher knows ya gotta have salt! lol

[HockeyMom]

3. Will they also ban salt and pepper shakers on tables?

I have been never been in a restaurant that didn't have these. If they don't, then just add your own salt. If they do, you can bring your own with you. I don't add salt to my home cooking but that is just a personal TASTE preference for me. It has nothing to do with health. My husband likes salt and just adds whatever he likes to his own portion.

But I do agree that this is, once again, taking it way too far.

[harmonicon]

5. pro-tip: people need to consume salt to live. (nt)

[opihimoimoi]

6. Whoever wrote the bill is ignorant of dietary requirements for Humans

Biology ReHab is rec'd for those responsible for this joke

[XemaSab]

7. The thing that makes this particularly off-base

is that some restaurants use ingredients like soy sauce or prepared BBQ sauce that have salt as a major ingredient.

Why should Chan's or Fuji get a free pass when Rabinowitz's or Kilimanjaro don't?

[Imajika]

9. This is beyond stupid....

Why is the New York legislature wasting even a minute on stupid stuff like this.

Do these people have nothing serious to do at all?

The health police really are coming...

[marmar]

17. "Do these people have nothing serious to do at all?"

But rearranging deck chairs is so much more pleasant.....




State deficit grows to $8.2B
Governor says lawmakers need to talk reductions, not restorations as $750M added to shortfall

By RICK KARLIN, Capitol bureau
Thursday, February 4, 2010


ALBANY -- Maybe they're taking their cues from Puxsutawney Phil.

While the famous groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter Tuesday, Gov. David Paterson offered more stormy news Wednesday on the budget: the 2010-11 budget deficit will grow from $7.4 billion to $8.2 billion.

Lawmakers followed their own winter ritual, criticizing Paterson by demanding firmer numbers before all parties could advance with the already contentious negotiation of the 2010-2011 budget.

A recessionary slowdown in income tax revenue and an explosion in Medicaid costs will drive the additional $750 million shortfall, raising the projected deficit for the period ending March 2011, Paterson's Budget Division said.

The governor said he will address the new problem in the 21-day amendments to his budget proposal. The adjustments are due Tuesday. He also warned lawmakers that they can't follow through on their plans to simply add spending back into his budget. ......more



Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/story.asp?StoryID=896617#ixzz0hpQVFCNb

[closeupready]

54. No, they don't - remember, three years ago, they wanted a law about when movies start, that

when a cinema says, for example, 7:00 p.m., that film would have to start at 7:00 p.m. promptly, no ads between 7:00 and the start of the film. That's about the dumbest thing I've seen them take up, but this is up there, too.

[Jefferson23]

10. This is too stupid for words, Ortiz and Bloomberg are out of their

fucking minds. It is processed foods that are high in sodium, and I would like to see the idiot who is going to
police NYC chefs, some of the finest on the planet, and tell them not to use salt!

If the food is cooked without salt, people will add salt, and that is much worse, the food will taste salty as opposed
to enhancing the food during the cooking process.

And $1000.00 dollar fines for using salt? LOL, nice money maker for the city I guess.

[alcina]

20. "Too stupid for words"

pretty much sums it up. Of course, this could all be part of a plot to prevent the Obamas from having their favorite sea salt caramels while in New York.... Nah. It's just stupidity plain and simple. I can't wait to hear Anthony Bourdain's thoughts on this.

On a somewhat related note, I just got an email from my local natural food market notifying me that their Frontier conventional curry powder has been recalled due to the possibility of salmonella contamination in the black pepper used. Black pepper and salmonella? Sweet Jesus. Next they'll tell us the salt has salmonella. Wouldn't that be convenient....

[smirkymonkey]

40. Bloomberg is such a paternalistic ass.

I wonder what his next "but it's for your own good!" crusade will be? What a total wanker.

[Trillo]

12. Can anyone find that bill?

http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menuf.cgi

Does it even exist?

[Jefferson23]

14. A10129 Summary:

A10129 Summary:
BILL NO A10129

SAME AS No same as

SPONSOR Ortiz (MS)

COSPNSR Markey

MLTSPNSR Perry

Add S399-bbb, Gen Bus L

Prohibits the use of salt by restaurants in the preparation of food by
restaurants.

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A10129&Summary=Y&Text=Y

[Trillo]

23. It indeed exists, but "sent to Health".

The summary says WHO said salt from "processed or restaurant" foods needs to be reduced, but this bill only seems to target restaurants.

Maybe restaurant chefs are the low-hanging fruit of that particular pairing ...?

[TygrBright]

13. Yo! NY taxpayers... It's ten o'clock. Do you know what yer "elected representatives" are up to?

Yeeeeesh. Talk about a waste of tax dollars.

disgustedly,
Bright

[customerserviceguy]

25. I will do what I can

to make sure the ones that appear occasionally on my ballot know how freaking stupid this is!

You got high blood pressure? Learn how to cook and eat at home!

Just for informational purposes: My lady has HBP, and I cook pretty much without salt. The shaker is at my end of the table.

[warm regards]

15. I hadn't thought about if before, but if health care passes,

I wonder if there will be a push to ban more of what we eat...and drink...and ride...?

[madville]

53. It's not unbelievable that we could get mandated behavior along with mandated insurance

It's not unbelievable that we could get mandated behavior along with mandated insurance.

Look at the military's insurance, Tri-Care. IF you are under Tri-Care and not wearing your seat belt or motorcycle helmet and get in an accident, they have the option to not cover you, I've seen it happen.

I doubt we would see flat out bans, the government prefers monetary penalties. Smoking, being overweight, alcoholics, drug users, etc will be the first targets which sort of makes sense because they require more medical treatment in their lifetimes. Then risky behaviors will be next as they search for other revenue streams, things like getting injured while skiing or bicycling would carry a penalty.

[Moosepoop]

16. These legislators are gonna find themselves in a pickle. n/t

[alcina]

28. Without the salt, it'll just be a soggy cucumber. n/t

[smoogatz]

18. Ortiz et al are morons.

If you don't want salt in your food, ask for no salt--or eat at home. Don't ruin one of the best cities for cuisine in the world. What idiocy.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

19. Gotta love my nanny state.

:sarcasm:

[LLStarks]

21. When will the war on flavor end?

I can understand trans-fats, but salt? Really?!?

[icymist]

22. Hey, Maybe all the world class chefs will move to Seattle!

YUM!

[joe_sixpack]

24. They can have my salt shaker.....

When they pry it from my worn, gravy stained oven mitt!!!!!

[tonysam]

26. It's beyond absurd, it is stupidity writ large by busybodies

who want to tell us what to eat, how much to eat, and what to put in our refrigerators.

Fuck these food fascists and health food quacks.

[Vinnie From Indy]

27. So New Yorkers are gonna get French Fries without salt?

One would think the Ny legislature would have far greater issues to deal with than salt used in restaurants. What about Margaritas? No salt on the rim?

[HeresyLives]

29. If there is no salt...even on the table...then I walk.

Salt is a necessity of life...AND I happen to like it

Every GD 'trend' that comes along anymore....

[Mimosa]

30. Gov can't balance budgets, why let them tell us how to eat?

BTW, what about soy sauce? fish sauce? very salty.

[cali]

31. it'll never pass. if it did, you might as well shut down every restaurant in the state

you cannot cook without salt. period. well, not and produce palatable food, let alone first rate food.

[fishwax]

32. yeah, that's absurd

:rofl:

[The Genealogist]

34. Do these people have any idea how ubiquitious salt is?

Salt is in everything...it goes in, in at least some quantity, everything from bread, to sauces, pickles, many cured meats. It is a staple in many ethnic foods, and some kosher foods require it. Do these people have any idea what they are doing? And with so much more wrong going on in the world, it seems like not only an unnecessary buildup of nanny statism, but complete ignorance of a quite chaotic world. Maybe I am wrong...homeless people all over the state are probably debating the finer points of a ban on cooking with salt. JEESH.

[tammywammy]

35. That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard of

Seriously. I don't use a lot of salt, but it makes food taste better when you cook with it. Idiots.

[jberryhill]

36. There are thousands of state legislators in this country...

...and not all of them are having their best day every day.

[old mark]

37. NY State lawmakers have too much time on their hands, and need to be sent home

to contemplate their own idiocy.
I think PA's lawmakers are bad - and they are- but NY's are just stupid....


mark

[Retrograde]

39. Isn't salt an essential nutritional requirement?

Yes, it's easy to overdo it, but AFAIK most mammals require some salt in their diets, including us. Just because processed foods overuse it is no reason to ban it entirely, which, according to this article, is what NY wants to do.

[eppur_se_muova]

51. Absolutely. Animals deprived of salt find 'salt licks' in the ground ...

in Africa, there is even a large cave which may have been dug out over the years by elephants digging for salt ... the 'working face' has been pushed so far back the elephants travel through complete darkness to get there. http://www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/african-elephants/projects/mt-elgon/elgon-elephants/


caption: not an elephant


Perhaps Libertarian commandoes can establish urban salt licks for flash mobs of sodium-deprived New Yorkers ...

[WilliamPitt]

41. (facepalm)

[StarlightGold]

42. Agree 100%

I almost can't believe that this is even being considered. This has to be the Onion, right? Right?

[LibertyLover]

43. I probably use more salt then I'm aware of, but I do try to keep it

at a reasonable level, trying not to add it at the table and to not automatically add it things like water for cooking vegetables. Having said that, there are foods that need some salt to bring their flavor out. Mashed potatoes comes to mind. Ever have unsalted mashed potatoes? They are pretty bland and not particularly good. And my husband and I do cook with spices and seasonings other than salt in order to flavor our foods. I probably wouldn't mind if the NY Legislature was encouraging restaurants from putting salt shakers on the table and to reduce the amount of salt used - even offering unsalted options on menus, but to totally ban its use in cooking is just silly. But hey, it beats trying to deal with bad economic problems and lets you look like you are actually accomplishing something.

[Javaman]

44. bloomberg is an asshole. nt

[AngryAmish]

45. This reminds me of the foie gras ban in Chicago

Thankfully that was repealed.

A bunch of know-nothing busybodies got together, invited some dimwit actress over for a hearing and the mopes in the council voted to ban foie gras.

After much humiliation, they repealed it a year later.

Christ, where do we get such morans?

[krispos42]

46. And this will once again be held up as a talking point by the RW.

:banghead:

[jmowreader]

47. I wonder...

does this bill mean just that the kitchen can't add salt while they cook, or that foods salted at the factory are also illegal? If presalted foods are okay, expect employment in restaurant kitchens to plummet: it doesn't take a hell of a lot of imagination to realize even the nicest restaurants will have no choice but to find a good contract packager outside New York State to make their meals and seal them in retort pouches. The stuff comes in on a truck, you put it in your freezer. When someone orders veal cordon bleu with marinara sauce, you go to the freezer, pull out a bag of cordon bleu, and boil it for ten minutes. You then ladle marinara you got out of a gallon pouch over the product and send it to the table. It doesn't take much in the way of expensive help to boil retort pouches.

If presalted foods are banned, which I think will happen because it says "salt in ANY form," kiss the New York hot dog goodbye: you can't make one without sauerkraut and you can't make sauerkraut without a lot of salt.

[Ter]

48. This bill is illegal

And wouldn't hold up in courts.

[onenote]

49. well, its never going to be enacted (thank goodness)

but I'm curious what would make it illegal if it was enacted?

[Ratty]

50. This is the sort of thing that gives libertarians ammunition

Never mind that it would never pass in a million years. I guess any nut job assemblyman can introduce whatever bill they like and some will seize on it as proof of government intrusion.

[proteus_lives]

52. Creepy and illegal.

[Incitatus]

55. This guy needs to quit politics and write for the Onion.