Big Apple Looks to Take a Bite Out of Salt

I have always been a huge fan of salt, especially when it's sprinkled liberally atop a hot batch of McDonald's french fries. However, deep down I know that lotsa salt isn't so excellent for my ticker — and my overall health — and I was glad to see NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his team are leading the charge to do something about it, just like the health-conscious administration did when they banned trans fats and required restaurant chains to publish calorie counts on its menus.

On Monday, Bloomberg and company announced an ambitious plan to lower salt levels in what we eat. Not satisfied to limit their plan to the Big Apple, they are aiming high and hoping their recommendations will be adopted by food manufacturers and restaurant chains nationwide.

"We all consume way too much salt, and most of the salt we consume is in the food when we buy it," Dr. Thomas Farley, NYC's health commissioner, told The New York Times.

Farley's department is leading the anti-salt brigade, claiming reducing sodium levels could save thousands of lives and improve conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. They also appear to be moving faster than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Last fall, the FDA published information urging folks to lower salt in their diet, but clarified that the "FDA doesn't have regulatory authority to require manufacturers to change the amounts of salt in processed foods at this time, but the agency is conducting research in this area."

It's clear NYC decided not to wait for the FDA to act, instead attempting to enact a plan for restaurants and food manufacturers to gradually cut 25 percent of salt in their food products over a period of five years. The plan is voluntary and requires no legislation, but so far several companies, including Subway and the A & P supermarket chain, have pledged to adopt their regulations.

"We think it’s a very realistic set of criteria that our suppliers can adhere to," said Douglas A. Palmer, vice president for store brands at A&P.

As expected, not every company is eager to let NYC tell them what to do salt-wise, but it appears NYC isn't going to get too discouraged if not everyone gets on board the anti-salt bandwagon quite yet. They continue to charge ahead with their health-conscious plan and seem to be aiming to make the phrase "pass the salt," a thing of the past.

Photo courtesy of aschaeffer via stock.xchang.