Obama Administration Declares War On Salt

Realizing that American producers and consumers would be at the very least upset about being pressured into giving up salt, the administration has opted to limit the pace at which it cuts down on sodium so as to minimize outrage. Instead, it will focus on subtle ways of advancing it’s agenda with the ultimate goal of “mov[ing] the entire marketplace,” as one liberal advocate of the policy put it:

“The announcement follows first lady Michelle Obama’s recent unveiling of the first update to the Nutrition Facts labels on food packages in more than two decades, including a controversial new requirement to list exactly how much sugar companies add to their products — a change many experts believe will lead food makers to reduce sugar. Last year, the FDA finalized a de facto ban on artery-clogging trans fats in a bid to prevent heart disease.

The FDA’s aim with its sodium targets is similar: Pressure food manufacturers to reformulate and cut salt, but change consumers’ diets in a gradual way so that they barely notice.

‘If the consumer wants to add more sodium, they’re able to do that,’ HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said on ‘Good Morning America’ Wednesday. ‘What the consumer can’t do now is remove salt.’

The administration believes the food industry will find plenty of ways to tweak products to have less salt.

‘We are confident industry will be looking to comply with these targets’ said Susan Mayne, director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Mayne noted that the agency will be closely tracking progress. ‘We will be monitoring what happens to sodium consumption in the U.S. over time.’

Canada, the United Kingdom and New York City have also led their own voluntary salt reduction initiatives in recent years.

The FDA’s reduction targets, which were published in the form of draft guidance, are incredibly detailed, listing ideal sodium levels for everything from blue-veined cheese to chicken wings and toddler snacks.

A spreadsheet issued by the agency details 2010 baseline sodium data for each of the categories and then lists two-year and 10-year target weighted average ranges for each. Because of the complex nature of the guidelines, it may take companies time to sift through and figure out exactly how each of their products measures up.

The amount of salt in the product categories varies widely, the FDA found. Bread, for example, can contain anywhere between 220 and 671 milligrams per 100 grams, which administration officials say offers proof that reformulation is possible. Some foods, like the most popular snack pretzels, already meet the agency’s short term targets, while other categories like salad dressings appear poised for more of a squeeze.

‘We hope that industry will work cooperatively with the FDA and health experts to achieve the proposed reductions, which would benefit the health of all Americans,’ said CSPI’s Jacobson. He sees the targets as a tool to move the entire marketplace. ‘[I]t helps level the playing field for those companies that are already trying to use less salt in their foods,” he said in a statement Wednesday.’

Source: Politico