Posted on 11/29/2007 1:34:20 PM PST by absolootezer0
The American Medical Association along with a U.S. consumer group on Thursday urged health officials to put stricter regulations on salt, saying it has reached dangerous levels of excess in American diets.
The AMA and the U.S. Center for Science in the Public Interest made their presentation before health officials at the meeting convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Maryland.
The groups said processed foods containing large amounts of salt are causing heart disease and high blood pressure. The CSPI said if manufacturers used 50 per cent less salt in their food, 150,000 lives would be saved.
Industry groups resisted the call for stronger regulations, saying the FDA should extend its voluntary approach. The Grocery Manufacturers Association-Food Products Association noted salt does not pose health risks when used in moderation.
Meanwhile, health experts in Canada are also calling for stricter regulation, saying Canadians are also perilously over-salting their foods. Kevin Willis, a bio-chemist with the Canadian Stroke Network, says about 30 Canadians die every day as a result of too much salt.
"It really is a very big public health problem. We estimate that it is probably responsible for around 25 per cent to 30 per cent of the burden of cardiovascular disease, so that's really very significant," he said.
Willis says that while some manufacturers are voluntarily scaling back their use of salt, legislation restricting the use of the seasoning will likely be necessary.
Average daily intake 3,092 mg: StatsCan A 2007 Statistics Canada study found that among people aged 19 to 70, 85 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women consumed more sodium than was recommended. The health survey did not include salt added to food.
Canadian men took in an average of 4,100 milligrams of sodium daily while women consumed 2,900 milligrams. Even among children aged one to three, 77 per cent surpassed the daily limits, consuming nearly 2,000 milligrams a day. In total, the national Canadian average for daily sodium intake registered at 3,092 milligrams, one-third more than the recommended limit.
According to the U.S.-based Institute of Medicine, surpassing the recommended upper limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily for people over the age of 14 can lead to health problems including hypertension.
Health Canada is slated to strike a working group on salt in 2008.
We were at Giordanos for pizza the other day. I swear there was not a drop of salt in the pizza crust. It had absolutely no flavor at all, even the kids agreed, it wasn’t because I had a cold and couldn’t taste it. Think they just forgot in one of their batches of dough.
I wonder what the shelf life of boxed kosher salt is. Maybe it could be traded on the white market.
Pick me, pick me, I know the answer to this one...High fructose corn syrup! And yes, the assault on pop has already begun.
Yep....but the illegals get it first....
I don’t know if government should have a role in this or not, probably not. But, I do know that I have put back on the shelves lots of frozen food products because they contian 30% to 40% of anyone’s daily requirement for salt! If I want salt on my food, I’ll put it there. Yes, yes, some salt is needed in the process, but I suspect a lot of it is there to make up for lack of flavor. So there! lol
There’s far too much government regulation already. No thanks.
"cspi" + "rwjf"
Then put in:
"rwjf" + "clinton" + "health care task force"
I thought that not all people had problems with salt. This is insane as consumption varies.
I thought that there are people who have no issues with salt. That it was more of a ‘prpblem/no problem’ genetic decision. I’ve pinged neverdem so we may get insight into this.
However, this suggestion borders on lunacy, IMO.
A HUGE HAZMAT site and a 100+ year cleanup effort.
Something healthy, that’s for sure.
never heard of using salt for that?
its an old bar trick. irritating for the guy that has to wash the glasses, but you don’t have to deal with that stupid little napkin sticking :)
thanks, bfl
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Our old friends at CSPI-another front man org for RWJF.
That’s because they have a LOT of money. Like MADD, they’re owned and operated now by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Google them sometime. They have BILLIONS to spread their crap.
The group further recommended strict limits on oxygen, as too many people are alive to continue eating salty foods.
Another group with interests in this issue, with the same acronym (AMA), the American Marguarita Association, immediately released a statement condemning the (other) AMA groups recommendation.
Not surprised, this is actually an old crusade by grant junkies.
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